Kaze no Stigma : The Final Battle
by kazenostigmafan
Summary: Pandemonium was merely the beginning of the mayhem that followed... The Kannagi and their heir will be put to their greatest test yet as they struggle against ancient and new enemies. Ayano is unaware of what awaits her as she flounders in confusion about her relationship with Kazuma... Ren is forced to take a stand with Ayano and Kazuma as they face their greatest challenge yet...
1. Chapter 1

**A/N** **: This is my first attempt at fanfictions. Please do review and rate. I am not that familiar with Japanese honorifics, so I have used the names of the characters.**

 **Disclaimer** **: I do not own Kaze no Stigma or any of its characters.**

 **Chapter 1**

A month had passed after the destruction of Pandemonium. Since then, the Kannagi Clan had slowly begun to grow from the fear that had spread among its members when Pandemonium was at its peak. While the head family had welcomed the Contractor of Wind with open arms, the remaining branch families refused to let go of their notion of looking down upon Wind Magic, in spite of the threat of war. While some branch family members had witnessed the abilities of the contractor first hand, the others remained sceptical of his prowess. But all these speculations hardly fazed the Fujutsushi, as he stood watch over the Kannagi house compound, unseen to the inhabitants of the house. Eyes glowing an azure blue, he casually swept his senses over the compound and the nearby areas for any intruders or spiritual distortions. Kazuma Kannagi – No, Kazuma Yagami; He still had no interest to come back into the family after his banishment – sighed in boredom, wondering how he had become the bodyguard of the very family that cast him out, the family he swore never to see again, much less save. But all that had changed during a few months, destroying years of apathy that he had developed towards the Fire Magic Users in his family. While his invisibility might have fooled the lesser members of the family, he had no chance of hiding away from his accursed father, Genma Kannagi and the relatively much better head of the family, Jugo Kannagi. This fact was soon confirmed as the pair walked out of Jugo's room and waited for him near the pond. Breaking away from his ruminations, he slowly glided down to them, and dispelled the air barrier that rendered him invisible.

Jugo had a soft smile on his face as always, while his father stared at him as though he were a stranger – some things never changed. Looking at them, Kazuma wondered if his life would have turned out differently had Jugo been his father, not Genma. As he let the power stored in his body disperse away as a gust of wind spirits, Jugo's smile widened and he said, "Looks like even the Contractor of Wind is improving constantly. How long were you able to maintain that state of yours this time, Kazuma?" Kazuma shrugged, "No big deal. I prefer to keep in touch with my abilities time to time. Wouldn't do to become rusty, considering you entrusted your dear daughter's safety to me. I'd like to do my job, at least for the fortune you pay me, you know." And the peaceful morning atmosphere was destroyed by the snappy reply from the hot-headed heir of the Kannagi Clan, wielder of the legendary Enraiha, Ayano Kannagi. Walking swiftly towards them, she carried the flaming Enraiha in her hand. After bowing to her father and uncle, she said, "Well, that's about the only thing you are useful for right now. What happened to the Youma that we were hunting down last week, huh?" Crossing her arms in a huff, she continued, "While you may be fooling Father and the rest of the family, let me make this clear – I think you aren't letting any of us know the true extent of your abilities. As much as my father trusts you, I don't – especially not after you pushed me into the pond." Kazuma sighed, running a hand through his brown locks. She still hadn't dropped that little incident. He hadn't really meant to annoy her back then, he was just caught a little off hand, when she had nearly slapped him and said he could rely on her too, depend on her too. The fiery princess was unlike any girl he had ever seen before. Without realising, he had already started falling for her, which just made it even more difficult for him to stand and watch as she battled Youma after Youma, risking her life. He wanted nothing more than to seal within one of his air barriers and keep her safe, but he knew the girl would hate him forever if he did so. But none of these feelings meant that he would forget Tsui Ling – the girl who had changed him when he had lost his way, far away from home in a strange land.

He realised he must have been staring the girl for a while, because a steady blush had crept onto her cheeks, and she stuttered, "Wh-what the hell are you staring at?" He gave a lop-sided grin, and replied, "Nothing in particular. Although you don't seem to have made much of an improvement yet, you still have all the time in the world to worry about my skills, don't you?" Ayano blushed an intense red, before snapping back, "Like I care! Go to hell, I don't care!" Having delivered her part, she spun around to walk away, only to bump into her blond cousin, Ren. The little boy had grown, both physically and mentally since the time his banished elder brother had returned, and had decided that his brother was as much a role model as Ayano, Jugo and Genma. On seeing his angry sister walk away muttering about how useless Kazuma was, he immediately concluded that his brother had once again managed to annoy Ayano. Sighing he bowed to his father, Jugo, and Kazuma, and said, "Can't you really give her a break brother? You both are supposed to be partners, yet you end up angering her the most." Genma finally spoke, "We have an actual crisis at hand, and you are arguing like immature children. We have lives to protect here; do you understand the seriousness of the situation at all?" Kazuma, irritated, replied, "I can tell when the situation is serious, old man, and I don't really need your help. Have you forgotten how I whipped you a few months back?" Rising to the bait, the stoic man replied, "I never fought you with my full abilities till now, punk. In fact, I could give you a sample right now." In response to his flaring anger, fire spirits gathered around him, heating their surroundings. Not taking the threat lightly, Kazuma drew his powers as well, and the air crackled as their auras clashed against each other. Ren looked at Jugo, silently pleading him to put an end to their argument. Jugo cleared his throat and said, "While it is established that both of you are exceptional Jutsushis, I'd prefer that your abilities were used against our enemies. If we fight among ourselves, then we have already lost. Come, there are matters of grave importance to be discussed. Ren." he turned to the boy and continued, "Tell Ayano that she is to participate as well. Your presence is required too."

An hour later, the meeting room was set; The participants were seated on the floor and were waiting for the discussions to begin. Well, most of them at least. The heir to the Clan was still missing, and so was the boy sent to call her. Kazuma sniggered; So much for being the responsible heir. Jugo kept glancing at the sliding paper door, no doubt waiting for his daughter and nephew. As their wait, prolonged, the room's inhabitants decided something was up. Jugo looked at Genma, silently asking him to go find out; Years of working together had let their understanding grow to such a great level, that if anything were to happen to Ayano, God forbid, he would gladly hand over the ancestral Enraiha to his brother in blood and arms, Genma. As Genma stood up, the door was wrenched open, the entrant hardly minding that the motion had apart torn the paper. It was Ren; and his face confirmed their suspicions. Ren gasped out: "Ayano…taken…captive…message…blood…". And all hell broke loose.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N** **: Thanks a lot guest user! I never really expected anyone to read my story, but now I'm encouraged even more! I promise this story is going to go through a lot of chapters and I hope all the readers leave comments, reviews and ratings. Now on to the second chapter! I hope all my readers enjoy it!**

 **Disclaimer** **: I do not own Kaze no Stigma or any of its characters.**

 **Chapter 2**

Jugo's face had immediately paled at Ren's outburst, while Genma's eyes widened. Kazuma, however, kept his shock in check. Face betraying no emotion, he carefully said, "Ren, I need you to calm down, and tell me what happened." Ren quickly nodded, and took a deep breath. He began, "I went looking for Nee-san, just like Uncle Jugo asked me to. Suddenly I saw a huge crimson flare near the backyard – I am sure that it was her flame. I ran as fast as I could, but when I got there, dust completely covered the place, but I could sense the presence of a Youma, a strong one. Then, as the dust cleared, I made out a navy-blue cape, and then a person carrying someone in their arms, that someone, I'm sure, is Ayano. I tried to stop him, but before I could, he disappeared with the dust. I tried looking around a little more, but all I found was this message in blood:

 _"_ _Find her if you can."_

Silence pervaded the room. No one said a word; The young Enjutsushi's words had spelled out a bleary time for the clan, which had just begun to wake up to new threats. Jugo's eyes became unfocused and he seemingly stared off into an unknown time as the remaining people in the room slowly digested the repercussions of Ren's information. Genma said at last, "This is as good as a declaration of war against the clan! To kidnap our heir… who would have the guts to do so, especially from the stronghold of the Kannagis, with me, Jugo, Ren, and a horde of branch family members, along with a Contractor?" Kazuma unwillingly felt a jolt of happiness at his father's acknowledgement of his strength, but remained silent. As much as he didn't want to admit, his father's question did make a lot of sense. Who the hell had managed to take the heir right under their noses? More importantly, exactly how powerful was this person to have taken down the wielder of the Crimson Flame so easily and take her captive? Jugo sighed, "Perhaps it's time I briefed you all about why I called you here." Once again, all the people shifted his attention to him.

Jugo continued, "I called you all here because I recently received information that Almagest is on the move once again, this time with even more sinister motives." At the name, Kazuma unconsciously clenched his hands and gritted his teeth, reminded of how the group had filled his past with pain, taken the life of the girl he loved right in front of his eyes, and only recently, threatened the lives of his brother and the flame haired princess who had saved him from himself, reminded him of his oath and had unwittingly occupied his mind permanently.

Ren looked at his brother out of the corner of his eyes. While being just a little child in front of his brother of 22 years, he too had been forced to grow up, and he could understand his brother's turmoil even without him voicing a thought. Sensing the depressing atmosphere, he sharply said, "I apologise for talking in between my elders, but I feel this is not the time for worrying about anything else, when Ayano's safety is on the line." Kazuma's bent head shot up in surprise at his brother's outburst; The kid was certainly more level-headed about this than he was. He secretly smiled, proud of his brother's calmness. He would surely make a great leader, wielder of Enraiha or no. Kazuma said, "The kid is right. Ayano's safety matters first. Give me some time, I'm gonna go look around for stuff." Ren quickly butted in, "I'm coming along too! I want to help too." Kazuma immediately refused, "You can't. From the way, they took Ayano, I can say they're pretty high skilled magic users. If you move outside the compound, it'll be even easier for them to take you. You better stay here, watch out for danger inside. You both be careful too." The last line was directed to the older people in the room. Genma retorted, "You watch yourself, punk. We can take care of ourselves." Jugo smiled. His brother could never let go of his eldest, no matter how vehemently he denied that he cared about his son. Kazuma then got up, shoved his hands in his pockets, and slipped out of the room.

Free from the confines of the compound, Kazuma allowed his emotions out of their restraints. He was worried more than he let on. As he flew across the sky, searching for Ayano's signature fiery aura, he unconsciously remembered the blood sacrifice that he was forced to see, the sacrifice that had awakened his latent wind magic. In a strange twisted way, he was thankful to that group, because their actions had finally awakened his powers in a desperate bid to save himself. He smiled bitterly; they had awakened right after that Bernhardt had taken the life of the girl whom he had sworn to protect with his own, Tso Rin. That brought his mind back to the two most important people in his life now – Ren and Ayano. While one was safe (he hoped so) at home, the other was nowhere to be seen, not even an energy signature. His worry manifested as a storm clouding over the skies of Tokyo, crackling and rumbling. If the kidnapping jerk hurt Ayano in any way, well, he might as well sign his own death warrant. For Kazuma wouldn't give him an easy death if the princess was harmed in any way, that much he was certain of.

Tired after hours of searching and failing to find even an energy trail, Kazuma was seriously riled up. Who had the ability to hide so well, that even his extra sensitive senses couldn't sense Ayano's more than explosive energy levels? His mind was overloaded with questions. What if the princess had been taken out of the city? His senses were not all pervading, they could extend only over the city, not beyond. He took a deep breath. This definitely reeked of Bernhardt and Almagest. He decided to call Jugo; this called for his experience. While Jugo was not capable of fighting actively like his brother due to his accident, his experience still made him a formidable magic user, which was why he had continued to hold the position of the head of the family. A few rings and then Jugo answered, "I had a feeling you would call. I assume you were unsuccessful?" Jugo's voice seemed too subdued, Kazuma decided. Risking a guess, he asked, "Let me guess, you got a threat message? Ransom request?" Jugo replied, "Something much worse than that. Get back to the Kannagi quarters right away." The call ended, leaving Kazuma with an ominous feeling.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N** **: First up, thanks a lot for your reviews guest viewers! Also, one of you suggested I use Ren's POV as well in the middle. While that might not happen right away, Ren will definitely play an important role as the story progresses. Now my early update is because I might not be able to update during the last week of the month, since I have exams coming up. Now this chapter is going to be a treat for Kazuma fans since it centers mostly on his thoughts. Hope to see more reviews for this chapter than the last. So here we have chapter 3 for you to enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer** **: I do not own Kaze no Stigma or any of its characters.**

 **Chapter 3**

Kazuma flew across the sky, the agitated wind spirits around him betraying a growing sense of dread and foreboding within him. If something worried Jugo of all people, then it was serious. A few moments, and then he saw the mansion of the Kannagi clan. Quickly descending, he ignored the looks of suspicion and disgust the branch family members gave him. No panicking members, he decided. Seemed like Jugo hadn't made the news official yet. He walked quickly to the meeting room where he had left Jugo, Genma and Ren, and entered the room, only to find Jugo leaning against the window. Kazuma said, "I'm here, what do you know about the jerk who kidnapped her?" Jugo turned around, and Kazuma recoiled from the look in his eyes; it was a look that he had never imagined on Jugo's face. The purple flame user's eyes screamed murder, and the bloodshot eyes and ragged breathing only served to stress on the bloodlust filling him. More than the bloodlust, however, was a heart-wrenching pain that threatened to crumple even Kazuma's iron hard emotionless barrier. Kazuma whispered, "What the… what happened? What… why are you like this?" Kazuma looked around, no sign of Ren or Genma. "Where are Ren and the old man? Why... why the hell aren't you saying anything?!" His voice rose as he spoke. Jugo raised a hand and spoke in an eerily calm voice, "They are safe. However, Ayano might be dead before we make our move."

It didn't register in his head first, he just stupidly gaped at Jugo. But once Jugo's words finally permeated into his numbing head, he felt himself freeze from within; No, no, _no_ not her, not her of all people. Not the stupid, reckless, annoying heir of the Kannagis. Not Ayano, the girl whom he'd sworn to protect with his life. Kazuma shook his head, trying to stifle his growing rage and panic before saying through gritted teeth, "I'll be the one deciding whether she'll come back alive or dead. Just tell me, where the hell is she? If that idiot has gone and put herself in more trouble, I swear I'll make sure she pays for it." Jugo said, "Come with me. Maybe then you will understand why I have given up saving my own daughter."

Kazuma followed Jugo in silence, slightly abashed at his outburst. He hadn't really considered Jugo's feelings in his own rage. Jugo then stopped in front of a room and signalled him to wait outside. Obliging to his request, Kazuma stood outside impatiently, wondering what was so secretive that Jugo couldn't even take him inside. Then he stilled. Something, something wasn't right. Instinct taking over, he ignored Jugo's earlier request and walked into the room, only to find out Jugo kneeling before a richly woven tapestry. It seemed ancient, but unlike the usual tapestries that lose colour and sheen with time, this one seemed to be as good as new. Kazuma frowned, the tapestry surely had some importance to the Kannagi family, for it to be stored with such secrecy.

Without turning around, Jugo said, "Kazuma, how much do you remember of the childhood lessons that you got on the history of the Kannagi Clan? Do you recognize this tapestry at all?" Kazuma replied, "A little, all right a major chunk at least. Why, what does that have to do with Ayano?" Jugo took a deep breath and continued, "Listen carefully, this can determine how many more lives that we will lose in this bloodshed." Kazuma's stomach clenched; The man was talking as though his daughter was already dead. "When the first Enjutsushi made the contract with the Spirit King of Fire, all the fire magic users were bound under his single rule. All followed one common head, and peace reigned over the land. The contractor of fire had three children, all of whom inherited his ability of wielding fire. Of the three, the second brother was the weakest. The eldest brother was a great ruler, and proved to be a potential successor for his aging father. The youngest brother, however, was the most special one. He was born with an greater ability to wield fire, that far rivalled that of his elder siblings. Naturally, this led to great jealousy between the elder brothers and the youngest one. Unable to witness bloodshed amongst those of his own blood, the aging contractor gave up his life. Now that the Spirit King of Fire was free to choose a new contractor, she sought the three brothers to decide who among them was worthy enough to wield her powers. When she chose the younger brother to take her powers, the second brother could not accept the fact that his brother was more powerful and favoured by the Spirit King herself. He and a few of his loyalists plotted the new contractor's death, but their plot was foiled quite easily by the brother, who chose to spare his elder brother's life after exposing him. Unable to bear the shame, the second brother removed himself from the family, and left along with his loyalists, but not before swearing that he and his line would forever be the clan's enemies from then. The elder brother wisely accepted his youngest sibling's powers and chose to take up the throne peacefully. The youngest brother remained the most powerful fire magic user, and remained independent. Thus, the Kannagi line was born from the youngest brother, and since then no fire magic user had been deemed worthy to renew the contract with the Spirit King."

A silence ensued. Kazuma finally broke it and said, "So… while I really appreciate your lesson about the clan's origins, what does this have to do with Ayano getting kidnapped?" Jugo replied, "The second brother who left created his own clan, the Black Flames clan, since they depended on Youma from the Underworld to enhance their strength." Kazuma started, "Somewhat like the Fuga Clan?" Jugo continued, "Yes, exactly. When Ren took me to the place where he saw the intruder, I found a piece of cloth, marked with the emblem of the Black Flames clan. And I think that's a reason good enough for us to believe that Ayano is as good as dead now because of this feud between the two clans."

Kazuma stood stunned. He hadn't heard expected his childhood stories to come true in this crazy way. For a frightening moment, he thought of Ayano. History of her clan was never a strong suit, she preferred to slash her blade at every problem she encountered. He then truly understood the danger to the Crimson Flame's wielder, his princess. He clenched his fists in fury and whispered, "If any of them even touch her, I'll make them suffer, suffer so much that they'll be begging for death. I don't care who stands in my way, nothing matters right now." Jugo turned to him, eyes beseeching him silently to save his daughter, whom even he had given up on. Kazuma said, "I'll be searching again. Call your Kannagi members to search as well. Any hints, call me right away, I'll be there." Jugo nodded and watched as Kazuma walked out of the room.

Jugo watched the wind mage leave the main house, riding away on the winds. Finally, burning unshed tears flowed down his aging face. Ayano, his daughter, the only reminder of his wife, the focus of all his affections and love. What had she ever done to have such a fate? While he openly reprimanded her for hasty actions and decisions, deep down he knew he couldn't have had a better daughter. His affection for her ran deeper than most assumed, especially those who simply saw him as a man raising the clan's next heir. But the ones more in touch with emotions, like Ren and Kazuma, perhaps even Genma, knew how much he cared for her. He knew he couldn't participate in the search, his body wouldn't let him. His hopes were now pinned on the banished wind mage, whom he had seen grow closer to his daughter, and had happily accepted him once again as a part of the family and as the man who would walk with Ayano all through her life. Within the confines of his mind, he whispered, "Forgive me Ayano, I have failed you."

Kazuma flew across the sky, straining his senses to their limits, desperately seeking out Ayano. He had circled around the city repeatedly, vainly searching for a certain flame haired girl with blazing eyes. He ran his hand through his hair in frustration, what the hell was he supposed to do now? From afar, he had seen the Kannagi family burst into panic when they realised that their heiress was missing. But that didn't bother him. What bothered him was the fact, that no one, absolutely no one could catch the culprit responsible for this. Then he stopped mid-air, and his breath caught. Something flickered at the edge of his senses, a faint flicker of power. Quickly he turned that way, flying as fast he could to reach the source of that flicker. As he flew, he recognized the flicker. It was Ayano, definitely Ayano. For a moment, he felt himself fill with relief and joy at finding her, but then something dampened the mood. For an explosive fire mage like Ayano, the flicker of power was faint, too faint. More than anything, the realisation confirmed his suspicions that the captors were highly skilled and experienced to have suppressed the powers of the wielder of a Divine Flame. As he flew closer to his destination, he tried not to think about how much Ayano would have been hurt in the time he had not found her…


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N** **: Hello readers! As always, your reviews have just fired up even more to deliver you the best story I can! Thanks a lot for your reviews! One of you mentioned that the plot is getting a bit too long. I'll assure you, while it may seem long, the story does move fast with a few time jumps so that I can clearly show you the way the characters change with time. Also, another review said the paragraphs were too long and there wasn't enough about Kazuma and Ayano's relationship. This time I have tried to rectify that little issue, so I hope the story to your liking. About the relationship part, the story definitely does focus on that. As the chapters come up, you will see more about their complicated relation! This chapter is really important, well most of the story will revolve around the events in this chapter. Hope all my readers enjoy this chapter, and please don't forget to review and rate!**

 **Disclaimer** **: I do not own Kaze no Stigma or any of its characters.**

 **Chapter 4**

 _ **Drip. Drip. Drip…**_ A damp and cold feeling swept through Ayano as she blearily glared at her surroundings. In the dark surroundings, all she could make out was the fact that her hands and feet were bound with chains as she leaned her back against the wall, stretching her aching legs out in front of her on the floor. Even in her bleary state, she could still make out the passage of time, as she strained her head to peek out of the small window of the room, and saw a full moon, gleaming above rows and rows of trees and jagged rocks. She frowned. The last thing she remembered was walking away from her father, Ren, Genma and that annoying, good-for-nothing Kazuma after he had the audacity to belittle her strength, especially after getting beaten up by her before they took on Pandemonium. Yes, he was not in complete control and thus she could win, but a win was a win, however you put it. She mentally shook herself, back to the main question. All she remembered was an explosion just as she drew Enraiha… wait a minute, then she fainted and then? Then what? She sighed, her thoughts weren't of any help to her now. Her main priority now was to escape out of her prison, as soon as possible. Her father would be worried sick about her, and wouldn't let her out of the main house if she delayed her return any further. Then she would be stuck only with schoolwork, while Kazuma and Ren would get the fun part of hunting down Youma. Before she could consider any way of escape, a creak resounded through the room. For the first time since her childhood, she felt raw fear seep through her, a fear so paralysing that she stopped breathing for a few seconds. Then, the lights switched on, and she quickly closed her watering eyes in a bid to protect them from the sudden glare.

"Well, the princess finally wakes. How do you do, my lady?" Ayano opened her eyes, to see a man cloaked in blue, and his head covered with a hood. His gravelly voice sent shivers down her spine, and something warned her to keep her cool this time and not blow into a firestorm. Almost as though he were reading her thoughts, the man continued, "Don't even think about your powers. Those chains binding you are especially for suppressing your powers to a bare minimum, just enough for you to stay alive. Fight against them, and rest assured my lady, you will die, painfully. These chains suppress even your energy trails so no one is gonna find us out here." Ayano croaked out, her voice cracking due to hours of discard, "Where is here? Who are you? What do you want with me?" The man laughed softly, "Ever the feisty one, eh princess? Keep your cool. You aren't going anywhere from here until Master says so, so you got all the time in the world to listen. You want something to eat, something to drink?"

Ayano straightened her spine and spat, "Come anywhere near me and I swear I'll make you regret everything you have done until now. Untie me and fight me like a man, you worthless coward!" In her rage, Ayano failed to notice that flickering flames danced along the exposed skin of her arms and legs, and her eyes filled with crimson flames. Immediately seeing the danger, the man took out a tranquilizer and said, "I think we have talked enough. Maybe you just need to sleep off all that energy of yours." Without waiting anymore, he plunged the tranquilizer into her arm, and watched as she slowly lost consciousness. Wiping the perspiration from his forehead he muttered, "That was a close one. Even with the chains on, her powers weren't suppressed like they should have been. What is this girl made of? Maybe this blazing power is what drew Master to her in the first place. Truly, she is a great threat to deal with."

Somewhere else… Kazuma felt the flicker of power disappear and his heart almost stopped. No,no if the flicker stopped, then it must mean Ayano is… no, no not possible. The girl would never go down that easily. She'd rip her opponents apart and then die. So far, he had seen no explosion no sign of battle anywhere. So, what did this mean? Was she ambushed? Did her captors take her life? The very thought of Ayano dying sent a burst of rage through him and he could feel his blood pound through his veins. No, he decided. She won't die, not that easily. As for the guy who captured her, well, he can just treasure his remaining moments in the world of the living. Pushing away his fear, he willed the air spirits to increase his speed as he shot across the sky. Right now, all that mattered was to reach the place where he felt the flicker. A few more minutes and he'll reach… just a few more... Ayano, hang in there…

Ayano couldn't move because of the tranquilizer, but she could clearly hear frenzied movements around her, and a few garbled words here and there. "He's coming… need to move… Contractor…" Contractor? Kazuma?! If he finds her like this, all tied up and drugged, then there would be no end to his comments. As much as she didn't want to admit, Kazuma's approval meant a lot to her, and she wanted to be someone whom he could rely on too. She never was the damsel in distress type, she was raging flames. As she struggled with all her remaining strength and will, pushing herself to fight more than ever, something gleamed within the darkness that surrounded her.

A pulse of orange, then red, then yellow, then myriad shades of crimson, blue, and purple. The pulsing glow spread outwards, encasing her in a cocoon of warmth, that gave her a sense of belonging and safety. As she reached out instinctively to touch the glow, a voice spoke, "I have waited for you to reach out for years now. Finally, we meet, my daughter. Come, embrace my powers, take them as yours. Make them yours and you will be stronger than you can ever imagine" The voice seemed ancient and full of raw power. Why did it call her 'daughter'? And what did it mean by 'embrace my powers'? Deciding she needed power more than ever, she shrugged away all other details and fully grasped the pulsing glow and brought it closer to her body. In the resounding silence and darkness, a gasp sounded and soon, all that was left was searing heat and burning light.

Kazuma reached the place. It was a rocky outgrowth in a dense forest, surrounded by jagged stones. In the moonlit darkness, he gently skimmed over the tops of the trees, looking for any sign out of the ordinary. Then, he felt it. A silence that was ominous. A suffocating silence that spoke of impending doom. Before he could react, a blinding light filled the place, temporarily incapacitating him. Soon after, he felt a rush of raw heat burn him and he barely managed to cast a barrier of cold winds to deflect it. What was happening? He then felt the familiar burning energy of Ayano's spirit, strong and full of life. But, as he watched, the spirit burned brighter and brighter, until it glowed to his senses like a second sun, burning and scorching everything in its path. He watched as the ground melted into liquid glass beneath him, trees burned into charred masses and the very rocks seemed to melt down into steaming puddles. The wave of heat had successfully destroyed everything unprotected in its path. Kazuma floated in mid-air, careful to avoid the hot ground. He was stunned. The insane amount of energy was from Ayano, no question about that. But what had happened for her to release so much energy? More importantly, how had she managed to draw so much energy?

Ayano woke up from her unconscious state for the second time that night. As soon as she woke, the first thing that her mind registered was the searing heat around her, which somehow seemed to keep her protected from danger. As she slowly got up from the ground, she saw that the chains binding her hands and feet had been melted away near her legs, the molten metal burning holes through the ground. Ground? Wasn't she in a room? Only then did she see the destruction around her. Around her, everything burned. Her prison lay in smouldering flames, her captor nowhere in sight. Suddenly, she felt dizzy and completely drained of energy. Her knees buckled, and she crashed down on the ground, not feeling the molten metal burn into her skin.

Kazuma followed the energy trail, keeping his senses trained on the source of the trail. Not long after, he came across a small cottage, at least its remains. The entire area lay burning for metres around the cottage. No sign of life. Kazuma felt his heartbeat increase, as he anxiously scanned the wreckage for Ayano. No luck. Her energy trail led him here, but there was no sign of her. Sight was useless now, he decided, and he closed his eyes. He needed his Contractor powers now. In his mind, he watched the familiar doors open as he invoked the powers of the Spirit King of Wind. Glowing an azure blue, he looked carefully through the area. He scanned through with his heightened senses, until something stopped him.

As he drew closer to investigate, he saw the object that caught his attention. A glowing silhouette of a girl. A sense of foreboding overcame him as the glow faded away, to reveal a red haired girl sprawled on the ground. Her blue shirt and skirt were burning at the edge, and her left arm looked unnaturally bent as she seemed to have fallen on the arm, putting her entire weight on it. It was her. It was Ayano. Hurriedly, he went over to her, checking her for any serious wounds and calling slow winds to blow out the flames on her clothes. As he leaned forward to check her left arm, he immediately pulled his hand back after touching hers. It was hot, much hotter than normal human body temperature. Then again, being a fire mage, Ayano's temperature was always a notch higher than normal, but even for her, this was hot. Other than her hand, she seemed to be perfectly fine, which only increased Kazuma's worry further. No outer injuries meant that inner injuries were more. But she was breathing. It was laboured, but she was still breathing. First things first…

Kazuma called up Jugo to tell him that he had found Ayano and was on his way back to the Kannagi main house. He refused to explain Ayano's situation, but he got to know something interesting. Apparently around the same time as the burst of heat, fire spirits all around the world had become agitated, making it difficult for fire mages to control their flames for a few minutes afterwards. It seemed that both the occurrences were related deeper than he thought. But almost immediately, his attention returned to the unconscious girl whom he cradled in his arms as he flew back to her father.

As he flew, he could not help but fret over her condition, something that had become common to him every time he saw her get seriously wounded during a battle. This time, he hadn't even been there to watch over her, and in his absence, the girl had gone and hurt herself horribly. As dawn broke over the horizon, Kazuma finally saw the damage that her body had sustained. Around her wrists and ankles, there were burn marks, and her skin was red and raised. It looked like hot metal had burnt her skin deeply. Kazuma's grip tightened around Ayano as he gritted his teeth and tried not to touch her wounds as he carried her home.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N** **: Hello, readers! Thank you for all your compliments and reviews for chapter 4! This time, I am sure I have managed to improve my style of writing and presentation because everybody seemed to be happy with what I have done and I promise you I'll keep you all at the edge of your seats till this story is over. Now, I won't able to update again until the first week of March because of my exams, so I have given a super long, emotional chapter here for all of you. I hope everyone is really excited because this chapter is going to let you guys know a LOT about what Kazuma and Ayano think of each other.**

 **Now, on with the story! As always, hope all of you readers enjoy it and review and rate it!**

 **Disclaimer** **: I do not own Kaze no Stigma or any of its characters.**

 **Chapter 5**

Kazuma made sure he entered the Kannagi household unseen. He quickly made his way into Ayano's room. Once inside, he immediately put her down on her bed, and drew the covers away from her body so that her excess body heat could dissipate faster. Making sure that no one was around, he gently closed the door on his way out of her room. Hurrying along the corridors, he found himself walking towards the meeting room, where he saw Jugo the previous day. Lack of sleep, along with incessant worrying had taken its toll on him, and he was yawning by the time he reached the room.

Inside, all the main heads of the branch families, Genma, Ren, and Jugo were seated and it seemed like a fierce argument was going on, judging from the outburst of the people, and the crackle of fire spirits in the air. Seeing Jugo, Ren, and Genma safe reduced his worries, and he silently cloaked his aura, choosing to observe the scene unseen. His technique of concealing his aura was strong enough to hide even from Jugo and Genma, the two fire mages who could see through his simple invisibility. As the members continued to argue, Kazuma lost his patience and came into the room and said, "Why don't you old geezers go take your arguments to another place? I want to talk to Jugo." His sudden entrance turned all their attention to him, and as always, he was met with distrust and hatred from the branch family heads. Jugo looked at Kazuma, careful to not betray his shock and worry. Ren's face showed his concern clearly, while Genma remained as stoic and aloof as ever.

Jugo turned to the branch family heads and politely requested them to give privacy. As the heads moved out unwillingly, Kazuma said, "Ayano's back. She's." As soon as Kazuma said that, Ren scrambled to his feet and ran to his brother, giving him a tight hug, and exclaimed, "I knew it! I knew you will find her! Where is she? How is she? She's okay, right? Can I see her? We've all been so worried about her!" Kazuma chuckled and put an arm around his little brother and said, "Yeah, she's back. I left her in her room. As for her being fine, that is something I'm not sure about."

Jugo started, "What do you mean?" Immediately, the atmosphere darkened as Kazuma said, "You need to have a look at her. We'll need the medics as well. As always, in our absence, the idiot has gone and hurt herself and frankly, it doesn't look too good to me." Jugo sighed and said, "You have done a great favour not only to me, but to the entire clan. I'll make sure I'll pay you separately for this. You have my gratitude." Kazuma simply cracked a humourless grin and said, "Keep the money, don't need it. Besides, I didn't do this for the money. It was my payback to Ayano anyway." Ren interrupted their conversation, "Can you talk later? I wanna see her!" Kazuma agreed, "The sooner we check her wounds, it'll be easier to handle them." Jugo swept his hand forward, asking Kazuma, Ren and Genma to walk in front as he followed.

Ayano groggily woke up to the delicious smell of breakfast cooking. She hurt all over, and her wrists and ankles burned like a thousand devils. "What the…" She found herself in her charred clothes on her bed. But how? She mentally berated herself for fainting and losing track of where she was. If anyone got wind of this, she would be embarrassed and teased to no end, especially by that pervert Kazuma. She tried to raise herself but she simply didn't have the strength to hold herself straight. Just before she plummeted face down to the ground, a pair of strong arms caught her. She inhaled deeply, trying hard not scream in pain and instead ended up whimpering as tears poured out of her tired eyes. Unable to bear the pain, she screamed aloud, praying for the searing pain to stop, at least for a few moments. Someone familiar spoke softly in her ear, but in the pain, she couldn't make out who it was. Then…blessed relief. Somehow, the pain reduced gradually, leaving way to blissful relief. Ayano gasped aloud as she felt her wounds cool down, and finally drew shuddering breaths, trying to dispel the haze in her head and focus on the person helping her.

Kazuma's hands shook with exertion as he tried to maintain his Contractor state as long as he could, directing the excess energy in his body into Ayano's through her palms, willing her wounds to heal. When she started screaming, all he thought of doing was to draw her pain away and he had whispered in her ear, softly asking her to focus on him. Almost immediately, Ayano stopped screaming and her breathing became slower than before, but remained laboured. Slowly he let the fire mage rest back on her bed, and made a movement to go back. But his body was too tired after using his Contractor powers and he collapsed right beside Ayano and closed his eyes, trying to regain strength. In his bleary state, he felt Ren grab him by his shoulders. Jugo had barely waited during the healing, and as soon as both the mages collapsed, he had hurried to his daughter's side, but not before whispering his thanks to Kazuma once again. Genma on the other hand looked torn, unable to decide between the clan heir and his son. But anyone could see in the stoic man's face, a touch of pride for his first born.

After smoothing stray strands away from Ayano's forehead, Jugo straightened and said, "Thank goodness we reached her in time. I think both need to take a well-deserved rest. Let them both rest here." Kazuma wearily asked, "So, you don't mind that I'm sleeping beside your daughter?" Jugo chuckled and said, "I trust you Kazuma, and I trust that Ayano will definitely burn you good if you try anything. She may be tired and wounded, but she isn't one to back down. You of all people would know that, yes?" Kazuma laughed weakly and just rolled onto his side away from Ayano and said, "True enough. I'm not so perverted that I'll do something to Ayano when she's half dead." Ren just smiled and shook his head, wondering how he had ended up with such a crazy family.

Ayano lay in silence as she heard her father and the others leave the room. As soon as she felt Kazuma's weight on her bed, she figured he was the one who healed her. Frankly, she didn't know he could heal other people in his Contractor state, so she had been quite shocked to feel his energy coursing through her body, healing all her serious wounds and reducing her pain. As her pain abated, she tried to remember the words that someone – or something – had spoken to her, just before she lost consciousness the first time. But, she couldn't, how much ever she tried. She mentally hmphed, now she owed him her life once again. As time passed, Ayano couldn't help but feel herself move further and further away from him. He never seemed to stop getting stronger, and as hard as she tried, she didn't seem to ever catch up to him.

It was depressing really, how was she supposed to help him, be his support, if she kept needing him to save her from dangers that constantly stalked her? Yes, that was his job, that was what her father was paying him for, but since Pandemonium she had come to see that even the all-powerful Contractor had his vulnerabilities, ones that had almost cost him his sanity and life. Even he was human, he still stumbled and made mistakes. His cocky attitude and constant perverted remarks about her didn't help her either, and he seemed to take perverse pleasure in annoying the hell out of her. Detective Kirika had told her that she was the main reason for Kazuma's change from a cold, heartless mercenary into a relatively softer bodyguard. She still couldn't understand, but if she was the one who could complete the change and hopefully bring him back into the family, she would do whatever she could do to achieve that. She sighed, when did her life turn into such a mess?

Kazuma lay staring at the wall with half lidded eyes, wondering about the problems at hand. There was the accursed organisation Almagest. Not to mention, he also had to deal with a reckless idiot who seemed to attract danger like moths to a flame. To top all of that, he had to teach and protect the girl, while at the same time try not to fall for her even more. Since Pandemonium, it was getting harder for him to control his protective instincts around her, and the fact that her abilities were still not completely developed just turned out to be a blind excuse for him to rush to her aid whenever he felt her life was in danger. While he knew that Ayano was one of the few to whom he would ever entrust the lives that he protected, he also knew that he would do anything to keep her in a safe haven, away from danger.

But the problem was the feisty heiress herself; she absolutely refused to be treated like a helpless baby(in her words), and she expected him to see her as his equal. Seeing her as his equal was never a problem, she was one of the few mages in the world capable of matching her strength to his, once she had fully developed her abilities, of course. But she insisted on throwing herself into danger just to prove her point, which wasn't something he really agreed with. For example, last week, they had dealt with a water elemental, an ancient one at that. Any sensible fire mage would have thought twice about taking on a Youma that used their weakness as an element, but _no_ , not the Crimson Flame's wielder. Even though he kept telling her to stay out of the fight, she had refused downright, and their fight had escalated to the point that he had to blow her away from the battleground, in his attempts to keep her away. He had barely pushed her away, when she had once again blazed her way through in a matter of minutes, riding a fiery tornado. He had been duly impressed, but what impressed him more was her iron hard mental frame. She had stopped in front of him, and icily (for a fire mage) told him to keep his personal issues with her out of their work and given him an ultimatum – either he works with her or he was free to return and let her deal with the Youma.

Two things had momentarily stunned him – she hadn't attacked him in return and the roaring flames around her weren't just crimson anymore. They were tinged with azure blue and purple. He had nodded mutely to her words and let her take the lead in the battle. True, she had performed much better than he had assumed, but what worried him was the fact since then she had closed herself away from everyone, even Ren. Her aura seemed to dim around him, and she only snapped when he pushed her too far. She was being far too cool for his liking, because fire mages were generally expressive and their abilities often depended on the strength of their emotions. While Ayano's skills seemed to be unaffected by the sudden changes in her, the people around her weren't. Even her school friends, Nanase and Yukari had noticed, and had vainly tried to find out the reason only to hit the wall she had raised around herself. But one thing was certain – he didn't like this one bit. He had always enjoyed watching her explosive temper, it made her seem more alive than the others, even if it did mean a constant threat of getting burnt. Now that she refused to budge, he couldn't help but feel irritated at the sudden change. Before her kidnapping, it seemed for a moment that Ayano had gone back to her original self, but now he wasn't so sure. Even now, he could feel her lying beside him, awake and deep in thought. He closed his eyes in frustration. What was happening to her?

Ayano turned around towards Kazuma, unaware that he was awake. She sighed again, more in resignation than in pain. She hardly knew what she wanted to do next. While she was sure that her father wouldn't let her go on missions for at least the next week, she knew she still could do something to keep herself occupied. Truth be told, she was desperate to grow in strength and power and make people respect her, not just because she was the heir of the Kannagi clan. She wanted to be someone people could rely on, someone to whom they would entrust their lives to. That desperation had forced her to reach the conclusion that she needed to grow up quickly, and she had decided to begin that right away by keeping a leash on her temper. While it had resulted in shocked faces and raised eyebrows in school and at home, she had simply disregarded the reactions and continued. She knew her abilities were growing, slowly but surely. But time was of essence, and she did not have the luxury of slow development. Kazuma seemed to grow faster day by day, and he never seemed to break a sweat over his skills.

While she would never admit her growing affections for him, she had been forced to acknowledge the inferiority complex she had developed because of him. While he had managed to grow from a powerless teenager into the world's strongest wind mage in a span of just four years, she had barely begun to control the Crimson Flame. He had achieved his goal of becoming stronger, while she hadn't even known where to begin until he had come back to Tokyo and beaten her numerous times. In front of him, she felt absolutely powerless and incapable of protecting herself, much less others. With the inferiority complex was a sense of admiration as well, and all these mixed up emotions just served to confuse her to no end. But those emotions didn't matter right now, she told herself. Her goal now was to get stronger, and she knew where she could start for that.

Slowly she got up, ignoring her aching bones. She hobbled her way to her mirror and surveyed the damage her clothing had sustained. Finding it burnt beyond repair, she moved slowly to her cupboard, taking care not to make too much of noise, and pulled out a skirt and shirt and other undergarments. Wincing with every step, she picked up a wad of cotton and a couple of bandages as well and hobbled into her bathroom. Inside, she took a shower, and ignored the slight shocks of pain coursing through her wounds as soon as the hot water touched them. Washing herself clean of blood and dirt, she dressed her wounds and herself, and slowly tip-toed out of her bathroom, towards Kazuma. He seemed to be asleep.

Smiling softly, she leaned forward to his ear, and whispered, "Thank you. I'm sorry for being such a bother some burden to you and to everybody else. Seems like I can't really handle it out there without one of you watching over me. Sometimes, you know, I feel so incapable among you all, that I just can't help but think how much of a disappointment I am turning out to be for all of you. Now, I got myself hurt because of my carelessness and now you are out cold too. I know I have a lot to work , so I swear I'll become stronger, so that neither you nor anybody needs to worry about me." Leaning down, she carefully pulled her covers over him, wincing at the pain shooting through her as her body protested against her movements. She hesitantly reached out, and pushed a few of his unruly locks back from his face. Drawing her blanket over his sleeping form, she gave him one last sad glance and quietly moved out of her room.

Kazuma held his breath as he heard Ayano leave the room. He could hardly believe what had just happened. That girl had absolutely no sense! She had just returned after a near death ordeal, and here she was, apologising as though it was her fault that she got kidnapped! She hadn't even given herself rest. God knows how much she had been hurting, considering she had been wincing with every step that she took. He berated himself for not realising how much she was beating herself up. She had no idea, how proud her father was of her, how proud he was of her. He had always know her snappy exterior was just a cover-up for someone kind, caring and honourable on the inside, but he didn't know she had been hurting on the inside for so long. Now she had gone somewhere, and he dared not follow her right away, because for the first time, he was afraid of her pushing her away even more.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N** **: Hello, readers! I am back again with your next chapter. I have gotten amazing reviews from some of you and I am just pumped up even more to give you guys the best I can! Now about this chapter... I bet all of us ship Ayano and Kazuma and this chapter is going to take their relationship further!**

 **I'd like to make a small request to all my readers... I am really glad that this story has attracted so many readers, but I'd really feel happier if all of you could drop a small review when you are done. While some of you have been doing the same, I'd like the others to do so as well.**

 **Now, on with the story! As always, hope all of you readers enjoy it and review and rate it!**

 **Disclaimer** **: I do not own Kaze no Stigma or any of its characters.**

 **Chapter 6**

Ayano made her way to the clan library, hoping to find out information about her abductor. Attacking the Kannagi stronghold was no joke, and the abductor had done the task so efficiently that no one in the compound had sensed his presence. Truly, he must be a very experienced and powerful wielder of some magic form, else he couldn't have knocked her out in a matter of seconds. The library wasn't her favourite place, but now she had no option. But she needed to be careful. Give her father, Ren or worse Kazuma, any idea of her actions, she risked being grounded at home for at least a month. But she had no idea where to begin her search. Immersed in her thoughts, she hardly noticed that she had entered the library, and the librarian was now looking at her with a quizzical expression. She must have heard about her kidnapping and rescue, and was probably wondering what she was doing here so soon. But then again, no one really questioned her most of the times. Perks of being the heir of the Kannagi!

Looking lost, she gradually decided to continue with her previous exercise of finding out more about fire magic and fire mages. Since the Pandemonium incident, she had been secretly sneaking into the library, trying to find out harder and complex techniques of fire magic. While she had barely mastered a few of the simpler ones, the harder ones remained elusive. Not anymore, she promised herself. She would only wait until she healed completely, and then she would work harder than before. As she scanned the history columns of the library, a rather worn-out book caught her eyes. Curiously, she reached out and took it, blowing away the dust covering it. It looked like no one had bothered to read it in a long time. Instinctively, she felt the book in her hand was something important, something that she needed to become stronger. Taking a deep breath, she pulled one of the chairs nearby and sat down to read.

Jugo and Genma sat by the pond, looking into the rippling surface. Genma waited for Jugo to say something, anything to make some sense out of the hellish mess they were in right now. As though he had heard his thoughts, Jugo turned to Genma and said, "This is getting out of hand. It's almost as though history is repeating itself. Ayano's incident is just giving it more support. What do you propose?" Genma turned to his cousin and said, "Ayano is strong, you know it better than I do. Do you not trust her strength and will? I think, if guided along the right path, she will surely become one of the great Enjutsushis to have been born into our clan." Jugo countered, "How much more can I control her? I haven't exactly given her all the freedom a normal girl her age would have. Even though she complains against it, she stills takes it up as her responsibility to follow all the rules I enforce. She is a free spirit, just like Kazuma. I can't restrain her powers anymore." Genma pressed on, "Then don't. Let her free. Let's see what she makes of her abilities. This is something she has to do on her own." Jugo stared at him, but said nothing. The breeze blew by, pushing past the two rigid figures at the banks of the pond, oblivious to the world around.

Kazuma slowly got up from Ayano's bed, stifling a yawn as he ran his hand through his hair, his strength and bearing finally restored. Locking outside the window, he could say it was at least late afternoon. He stood up and stretched, cracking and popping stiff joints. It was time to get to work. First, he had to dig out whatever was bothering Ayano. Maybe if he pushed enough of her buttons, she would spill out the issue herself. Rolling his shoulders, he walked out of the room, only to be confronted by his brother Ren. He did not look happy.

"What's up, Ren? You don't look normal" "Why would I look normal? Nowadays, no one is normal." Kazuma raised an eyebrow. "What got into you kid?" Ren huffed and crossed his arms and turned away. Kazuma sighed and said, "Hey, I won't know what I have done until you tell me. So, what happened?" Ren finally turned with a serious look and said, "I saw Ayano. She was going to the library. She was being secretive about it, like she didn't want anyone to know. Luckily, I happened to meet the librarian. She told me and asked me to tell Uncle Jugo. But, I didn't want to disturb 'cause he was talking to Dad. So, I came to you. Did you tell her anything? I'm really worried about her Kazuma. She goes off somewhere without telling us, and just keeps on sleeping whenever she is home. I don't know what's happening to her, and she's not telling anyone either. Were you even watching her all this time?" Kazuma looked at his brother carefully. What his brother said was true; He had watched her come and go, but had never paid attention, only opting to make sure she was safe. Lately, he had felt more energy spikes from her than before, but had simply attributed it to her usual temper. Kazuma frowned. Something seemed off with the whole thing, especially with the enormous amount of energy Ayano had released that day. Kazuma pulled Ren closer and whispered, "Ren, I need you to keep watching Ayano inside the house. Make sure you see everything she does, and if you find anything odd, tell me. Just call out and I'll come. Is that good?" Ren nodded vigorously and ran off, excited to help his sister and brother at one go. Kazuma watched his brother run, and decided to find exactly what Ayano was hiding.

Kazuma ignored his growling stomach as he tried to find out Jugo's whereabouts. Ayano was his daughter, so he could probably have an idea about her sudden change. As he walked along the corridors, trailing after Jugo's vibrant purple energy trail, he crashed into a smaller person, causing both to lose balance. The said person screamed in a high-pitched voice – it seemed like it was a girl – flailed around wildly, lost her balance and fell right on top of him. In the ensuing confusion, all he saw of the other person was long and incredibly silky flaming hair. Wait a minute. Flaming hair? What the hell?

Ayano sat up, wincing as her head pounded in protest at the sudden movement. Through her pain, all she could see was that she was sitting on top of a man who seemed to be in shock. Quickly getting up, she said, "Oh! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I really didn't mean to bump into you, I'm sorry, I'm…" Her string of apologies was rudely interrupted by snickers from the other person. Ayano frowned. Who had the guts to laugh at her inside the house? Almost in answer, a voice snidely said, "Didn't know you had it in you to apologise, Princess. But I'm afraid I can't let you go that easily. Who do you think you are?" Panic filled her and she froze, unable to move a muscle. Noting her silence, Kazuma continued, "What are you doing here? I thought you were kidnapped and wounded. Anyone with a shred of sense will be sleeping, but of course, not you. Sometimes I wonder if there is anything inside that head of yours." Still no answer. Kazuma waited, gazing steadily at Ayano's averted face. He frowned and said, "All right, if you are gonna give me attitude, then I'm not going to bother. But honestly, can you at least thank me for saving your sorry ass? It's manners you know." Ayano flinched and turned to him, eyes wide. Kazuma's eyes widened in return. She was up to something, something that involved craziness on par with Bernhardt's idea of summoning Belial in Tokyo. She could never lie to him, not on his face at least. Kazuma prodded, trying to find out what she was planning, "Well? No thanks? Oh well, guess I set high expectations."

Ayano watched Kazuma warily, desperately trying to escape without getting caught. She racked her head, trying to distract him. She knew only one way to deal with awkward situations like this. She raised her hand and tried to punch Kazuma hard on his shoulder. Even while teasing her, the jerk seemed to be on guard as always, because he caught her wrist easily and pulled her closer. Drawing close, his expression serious, Kazuma asked, "What are you hiding, Ayano?" Ayano felt her blood freeze. He knows. He knows. God, he knows. How? But he didn't seem to know the full thing.

Grasping at that weak hope, she tugged her wrist away and moved away from him, "Nothing. You are a tracker, aren't you? If you don't know, then it's nothing. Or are you telling me your tracking skills are messing up?" Kazuma smirked, if she wants to play a game, he was in. Kazuma shrugged his shoulders and said, "Glad to see you trust my abilities so much. Cut the crap and answer the question." Ayano finally raised her chin and snapped, "What's your problem? I just got back and decided to take a walk around. Do I need to ask permission for that?" Kazuma grinned, finally the fiery Ayano was back. He rolled his eyes and said, "No need to jump around for that. Just wanted to check your manners. Well, they seem to be lacking. No surprises there." Ayano just turned around haughtily and walked away. Kazuma watched her walk away, but he couldn't ignore the suspicion that she was acting weird. It seemed like he had no other option now. He was going to add to his usual job of guarding Ayano. She'd now have her own personal stalker as well.

Late into the evening, Jugo called Ayano, Kazuma, Ren, Genma and the branch family heads to discuss about Ayano's kidnapping. As they took turns narrating the events, by unspoken mutual consent, they left out the parts about Ayano's burn marks and the intense searing heat that had appeared out of nowhere just as Kazuma found Ayano. After their accounts were over, Jugo said, "Ayano, you are removed from duty for the next two weeks. No, I will not accept any reason from you. In your state, you are more of a liability than help." Ayano sat down defeated, knowing that there was no use arguing with her father. Jugo continued, "Now, there is the matter of Almagest to deal with, as well." That dampened the mood even further. Ayano jumped in and said, "What about Almagest? Wait, aren't they the group of morons who…" She stopped, realising their role in Kazuma's past. Kazuma felt her hesitation and filled the silence, "Yeah, it's them all right. But we've just gotten back and we don't have enough have information on their activities, just whispers and rumours here and there. Nothing serious for you as the heir to worry about." Ayano asked, "But you will tell me if you get to know anything, right?" Kazuma sighed, "Yes, at least to be free from your persistent nagging afterwards." One of the branch family spoke up, "Princess, rest assured, I and the rest of the branch heads will deal with the incident severely. We wish that you recover as soon as possible." Ayano nodded and looked at her father for permission. Jugo nodded back, permitting her to leave.

As Kazuma saw Ayano leaving, he announced his departure and walked after her. Calling her, he went over to her side and grabbed her arm, startling her. Ayano started hotly, "You perverted freak! What the hell do you... Ah?!" She was cut midway as Kazuma wrapped her in a warm embrace, leaning his head into her thick, flowing hair. To say she was shocked was an understatement. Her breath shallowed as she stood still, unable to believe that Kazuma, the cold, emotionless contractor of wind, had wrapped his arms around her. Kazuma tucked her head underneath his chin and leaned down to whisper, "What am I supposed to do with you, you idiot? You are a magnet for danger all right." Ayano's voice choked; she couldn't say a word. All that she could register at that point was his cool skin and his energy wrapping around her protectively, shielding her. She felt her heart race, and instinctively knew Kazuma's was beating just as fast. She couldn't understand; it had barely been a year since they had met, but they respected and trusted each other much more than the others around them. Neither their past nor present had seem them comfortable with each other. It was always a clash of flashing flames and roaring winds, with Kazuma's perverted remarks and her heated responses. But now, in his arms, she had only one thought resonating within – _I am home_. The thought caused her eyes to prick. She shifted in his arms, burrowing into him. In response, Kazuma's arms simply tightened around her waist, pressing her against his frame., as he let his chin dip into the crook of her neck. She would never admit it to anyone, no, not even herself that, this was where she could rest, take a moment for herself away from the world around and all its raging problems. When, she did not know, but now for her, Kazuma's embrace was now her safe haven from her troubled world.

Truth be told, she was scared, really scared and still hadn't come to terms with the fact that she had managed to escape alive from her captor. Not to mention, Kazuma's sudden hug wasn't really helping either. Hell, she was breathing like she had just run a marathon. Oh wait! Her captor! How had she forgotten about that guy?! She pulled away from Kazuma and started saying, "There was this guy, who was there before I got kidnapped, and he was there in that place where I was held, I completely forgot. We need to go look about, search.." She continued blabbering, but Kazuma put his hand over her mouth, while shaking his head and saying, "Don't you ever care about yourself? You just got back, you need to rest. As for that guy who captured you, that's my job to worry about." Ayano frowned and pulled his hand off her mouth, "Why is it your job? Why can't I do it?" Kazuma sighed and moved back a little, still keeping one arm around her waist, and continued, "Well, that's what I'm paid for, princess. I'm your bodyguard, remember? I'm supposed to kill stuff that threaten you." Ayano nodded thoughtfully. Then she realised her position and Kazuma's arm around her, and red flushed her cheeks.

Kazuma grinned when he saw her red cheeks and said, "Well then, I'll be going." As Kazuma turned away to leave, Ayano whispered, "Wait." Kazuma turned back with a blank face and deadpanned, "Now what did I do?" "Thank you." It was barely a whisper, but the oncoming breeze carried it to its recipient. "I need to tell you something." Kazuma turned fully, his interest evoked. "I don't remember what, but I'm pretty sure someone spoke to me while I was captive. Not the guy, it was more like in my head. I kind of panicked and tried to free myself, but I couldn't. That's when I heard it. Do-do you think I'm going crazy?" Kazuma's eyes bored down into Ayano's as he looked at her, not saying anything. Biting her lower lip, she asked, "Kazuma, why aren't you saying anything?" Kazuma replied monotonously, eyes narrowed, "Why didn't you tell Jugo and the others?" "If I told them, they'd probably think I have officially lost it, or just babysit me more. I- I thought maybe you would understand." Still no answer. Ayano still had her face averted, fear growing her in heart. Had she done a mistake by opening up to him so much? She mentally berated herself; she shouldn't have done that. She stammered out, "I-I think I probably just imagined, uh, you know with all my, uh, dehydration and everything. I'm good, probably ju-just imagining things. I'll see you around." Before Kazuma could say a word, she tore down the path leading to the pond and took a sharp turn, disappearing after the cut, leaving behind a bewildered wind mage.

Ayano ran down the path into the woods around her house, pain flaring with every step she took. But that didn't matter, she was used to pain from all her training and regular battles. Incredibly, what hurt more was that she couldn't seem to win his trust. She was right; she needed do this alone, without anyone watching her back. She alone would inherit the position of the head of the family, it only made sense that she grew up and took matters into her own hands. Stopping, breathing hard, she looked down at her bruised palms. Clenching them, she looked to the orange sky, silently making a vow.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Hello readers, I am back again! This time, I have gotten a good number of reviews and I am really happy to know that so many of you are enjoying this story. Now, this chapter is very special because it will finally reveal why Ayano is so powerful, powerful enough to challenge a Contractor himself. And of course, a little of Kazuma's protective feelings towards Ayano are also there.**

 **I hope everyone enjoys this chapter and review and rate it as well!**

It had been a few months since she was kidnapped, and Ayano was happy with the progress she had made. Her graduation was approaching and her control over the Crimson Flame had steadily increased as well. She sat down on the grass, inside the secret haven which she had been using to practice for the last few months. She had stumbled upon the deserted area near her school accidently, and found it to be the perfect training ground away from prying eyes. She observed the damage around her, the scorched ground devoid of vegetation, a proof of her skills. She had slowly mastered the art of burning her targets only, much like cousin Genma and her father. She had also started working on cloaking her aura, much like Kazuma. Needless to say, she had tested it and found it to be very useful in escaping away from him and her father within the house. But she didn't dare use it outside since she knew she could be caught by an invisible Kazuma. While she could sense his uncloaked presence, tracking wasn't her forte. Kazuma was the tracker. She stretched her hands out and cracked her knuckles. Time to step up her senses.

As always, after her daily dose of practice with the Crimson Flames, she sat down and relaxed herself, slowing her breathing rate and heartbeat. Slowly, she dropped the cover over her spirit, allowing herself to reach out and feel the energy in and around her. In her mind, it had initially been static and she had stumbled along blindly, but with practice, she could slowly make out auras and energy flows all around. Drawing in a deep breath, she slowly directed the energy around her into herself, allowing her body to accumulate energy. Raising one hand, she summoned the Crimson Flame, and watched it dance across her palm, the drawn energy sustaining the celestial flame. Stopping the flow, she let the flame disappear and settled down to practice the other things she had learnt from that book in the library. At the start, she had been pathetic in sensing energy trails and auras even with her eyes closed, but now she could see them clearly even in daylight at the corners of her eyes. She was satisfied that she had made substantial improvement in her newly acquired skills.

Kazuma stood suspended in air, as he watched Ayano practice. Over the last few months, Ayano had suddenly grown up so much, that she seemed much older than she already was. Her eyes, which had always carried flaring sparks, now held a warm comforting flame, full of thoughtfulness. For the first time, Kazuma's skills as a tracker had failed when he was shut away by Ayano from her plans. Nothing from his side has broken through to her and she still managed to keep her secrets from all of them. Jugo had finally relented, but warned Ayano that her activities must not affect her skills as a fire mage or her studies. She had assured him and the head had left the issue after that. But not Ren and him. Both were worried about Ayano but she had continuously just told them that there was nothing to worry about. That didn't mean the brothers were going to drop the issue. Ren had become attached to Ayano almost all the time, and Kazuma had kept watch from the side-lines.

All that secret stalking had paid off because one fine day, he realised that Ayano had learnt to cloak her aura, even from him. It had been quite a shock because he didn't think it was possible for anyone to learn to do that at such a young age. He was the exception, but that ability of his was a package deal that came with being a contractor. Slowly, he had seen her powers grow, till the point that he could feel the sweltering heat that her abilities threw off when her guard was down. First, he had been impressed, then curious. What was driving her to become stronger, that too at such a pace? While the improvement was commendable, it was also a fact that it was incredibly dangerous. But the girl hadn't stopped there. She had begun to develop her senses and reflexes, and was now trying to control the flow of energy in and around her, a technique that he himself mastered recently.

Her development had been noticeable in all their assignments together, when her strikes and kills developed greater efficiency and precision. Jugo had noticed this as well, but he could not complain since her progress was beneficial for the clan after all. When he had first met Ayano, he could sense enormous potential in her, and now, even while standing at a distance from her, he could sense the growing power that she carried within herself. As he watched manipulate her inherent energy, he tried not to notice her flawless complexion, her sleek and lithe figure, covered in lean muscle because of years of training, and of course her flowing silky flame-like hair, that hung down her back and framed her face. After all this time, his feelings for her had only grown stronger, even after she shut him out repeatedly. If anything, they had grown as she distanced herself from him. While he knew, she was truly beautiful, what drew him to her was her desire to protect everyone, and the way she put others in front of herself, choosing their happiness and safety over hers. In that way, Kazuma felt like he was almost seeing his reflection in her. Shaking himself out of his reverie, he saw that Ayano seemed to be taking a break, and decided to rile her up… just a little bit.

Ayano had just finished her practice for the day, when her phone rang. Picking up, she answered, "Ayano here. Who is this?" "Hello, Princess. What are you doing?" Ayano blanched and said, "What the hell?! Kazuma, how do you have my number?" "I'm your guard, right? So, I'm supposed to have your number." "What do you want now?" "Well, nothing important. What are you doing?" Ayano answered irritably, "I don't have time for your crap, Kazuma. What is it?" "All right, don't get worked up so much. I just want you to do something." "Why would I do anything for you?" "That's really rude Princess." "All right, fine! What do you want, jerk?" "Find me." Ayano was confused. Find him? His next statement froze her from within. "Sense my presence, Princess. I'm not hiding my aura. It'll be good practice for you."

Kazuma watched as shock flitted across her face and waited as she whipped her head around, trying to find him. He tried not to laugh as she whipped her head around in panic. The call long forgotten, he was content in watching her rage and rave, her peaceful state of mind shattered. Picking up his phone once again, he dialled her number and said, "Hey, I said my aura is uncloaked, not my physical appearance. You're gonna get a cramp whipping your head around like that." There was silence on the other end. Then a quiet voice said, "How long?" Kazuma bit back a snigger and said, "Well, remember you told me I'm a tracker? I'm just doing my job." "Just answer. How long, Kazuma? How much do you know?" Kazuma replied, "All right, I'll offer you a deal. Find me and I'll tell you. But." "But what?" "The lesser time you take, the more information you get." "Done." The line snapped shut and Kazuma directed his attention to the flame haired girl down below on the ground.

Ayano felt like a complete failure. She couldn't keep herself hidden from Kazuma, after all. Who was she kidding? He was a freaking contractor, and she was an heir in training. She was no match for him. Now, she had no choice to limit the damage by finding out how much he knew. But with her mind raging, she found herself unable to concentrate on the auras around her. In the turmoil within, she lost herself, trying to find a semblance of the calm frame of mind she had established before, but to no avail. She felt tears seep out of her eyes, down her burning cheeks. She hadn't cried since her kidnapping. Heck, she had never cried while dealing with her powers. This was a new low. She hated this feeling of powerlessness. She had stood up against Kazuma before, and she knew this time she wouldn't give up either. Tears continued to flow, as she accepted that she was indeed a long way from Kazuma but she promised herself that she will still try to become stronger than him. She had to do this, for him, for her clan, her family, but most importantly for herself. Then something shifted within her. And a silence so heavy fell in her mind that she felt suffocated within the confines of her own mind. Darkness. Pitch black, so dark that she could neither see nor hear nothing. And then, it happened.

Kazuma watched in growing apprehension as Ayano stood still, unmoving with her fists clenched. Had he pushed her too far? Ignoring his worried side, he watched as she relaxed and slowly tears fell from her chin, wetting her shirt and sleeves. A sharp pain shot through him as he watched her cry silently, and he cursed himself for being the cause of those tears. Even as he moved forward to help her, he stopped. No, he told himself. He didn't want to keep suppressing her strength by helping her out every single time. She needed to grow too. She carried the burden of an entire clan on her shoulders. She couldn't be free, like him. She couldn't afford to keep depending on him for help all the time. After all, he too was mortal and there were places where even his strength would fail. Although she was already strong, she needed to stand up on her own. Because when he leaves her and his brother, he wanted to make sure she had enough strength in her to keep both safe and stay alive, especially when he wasn't around.

Then he felt a raw, primal power fill the space around her. Stunned, he watched as the powerful presence manifested in the physical dimension as a flaming bird – a phoenix – and floated in front of Ayano. He watched as Ayano moved forward in a trance, reaching out to the bird. Every instinct in his body screamed to pull her away, but he could only watch as she slowly moved towards the bird. Finally, his limbs moved and he rushed forward, only to be stopped by a towering pillar of wind. Surprise flitted across his face as he heard a voice that he never expected to hear, especially after so many years. "Watch closely, my Contractor. She is fulfilling her life's purpose. Do not interfere in the event. The flame haired princess will soon become just like you, and as ironical as it sounds, she will need your help in making sense of her new life. Both of you are destined for great things, and she will definitely fall in the coming struggles without you by her side. If that happens, not only your clan, but fire mages all around the world will be dealt a deathly blow, a blow which can be exploited by the denizens of the underworld, and their worshippers and followers in this world. Humanity faces its greatest threat yet, and all magic must come together to save it."

Kazuma asked, "What am I supposed to do, if that idiotic girl won't even let me help her?" "You understand her drive to protect innocents more than anyone else. She is just like you, Contractor. How would you train yourself?" "My powers grew out of pain, Spirit King. If you are asking me to inflict pain on her, I refuse right away." "I know that you care for her, more than you care for yourself. But that doesn't mean that she cannot handle pain. What makes you think she hasn't gone through the same pain yet?" Kazuma asked, "What do you mean?" "She has the same insecurities as you do, perhaps even more so, due to your presence. Understand her drive and her intentions and you will have helped her out in the best way possible." Kazuma's confusion cleared as he understood the Spirit King of Wind and in respect he bowed and whispered his thanks.

When Kazuma returned his attention to Ayano, he did a double take as he saw the brilliant flames enveloping Ayano. As he neared her, the phoenix turned towards him and he was fixed with a gaze so strong and ancient he couldn't hold it with his own. By now, he had recognized the phoenix's identity and he bowed low in respect and said, "Greetings, Spirit King of Fire. I'm Kazuma Yagami, the Contractor of the Spirit King of Wind." A feminine voice emanated from the phoenix and pressed against his consciousness, "Yagami? Boy, you are a Kannagi. Do you find that name a disgrace to carry?" Kazuma replied, "I was banished from the family. Therefore, I do not carry that name." "Family or no, you are a Kannagi by blood and nothing will change that. But I can say you are _his_ spawn, at least on your spiritual side. What a play of fate! A child favoured by the wind, born into a clan favoured by fire. I believe you are quite special, boy. Your brother Ren, no doubt, is a prodigy himself and I think both will play an equally vital role in the near future."

Turning to Ayano, the spirit continued, "My precious daughter is finally ready to awaken her true powers. And you, being a Contractor, should be able to help her out. I cannot be in contact with her all the time, hence I cannot guide her as she requires. Being a Spirit King has its privileges and restrictions and I'm no exception, just as your king is not. Can I entrust my daughter to you? For one thing, she does look up to you greatly and seems to trust you a lot. And I believe, the King of Wind has spoken to you as well." Kazuma ignored the jolt of happiness that he felt when he heard Ayano's thoughts and replied, "It would be an honour. I will do my best. May I ask you something?" "Ask away, Contractor." "Why do you call Ayano, your daughter?"

At this, the phoenix turned to him again and it appeared that its gaze had softened fractionally. It replied, "Ayano is a very special child, very close to my heart. She is much stronger than any Enjustsushi born in the Kannagi clan till now. She carries a secret within her, much like yours. In fact, both of you are kindred spirits, unbound by any restrictions that generally cripple normal mages. In time, you will understand just how special you both are. After all, the only one fit to match my daughter is you. While I know that you care for her, I will tolerate no pain that can befall her from your part. Tread carefully with her, for she is still fragile inside and these sudden developments are sure to throw her off balance. She needs people who can understand her, not people who try to mould her as they see fit. I entrust my daughter to you, Contractor, and I hope you will guide her well. Oh, and do not worry about her father, I'm sure he has no problem with these arrangements."

Kazuma internally groaned. Of all the times, why now, when he was going to leave her for good? He didn't want to stick around for long, not with his head and heart getting seriously confused around Ayano, but something made him stay every time he wanted to leave. But now wasn't the time for his internal soliloquy. Knowing better than to disagree with a Spirit King, Kazuma bowed low once again and said, "Thank you. But, what did you mean when you said her true powers were awakening?" The spirit sighed and said, "For a Contractor of Wind, you sure are slow, boy. When did, your true powers awaken?" Before Kazuma could reply, the spirit said, "I cannot sustain my form in this world any longer. Long struggles are coming and you will need all your strength and will to keep the ones you love safe. Your past will continue to haunt you, but if you trust the right people, you can free yourself from it. Take care, Contractor, and may the winds always be at your back and in your favour. While you are a child of wind magic, I still care for you as a child of the clan I protect. I will watch over you, just as I watch over Ayano. Farewell, for now." Saying so, the phoenix gently wrapped its wings around Kazuma and the entranced Ayano in a warm embrace that surprisingly did not burn him. Before blacking out, the last thing he felt was a rush of wind and a searing heat pressing down on him.

 **A/N: I actually had many reviews asking me for updates much faster than I can possibly give, and while I did fell really happy that people were expecting the next stages of my story so much, I did feel a little guilty about making you all wait. So, I'd like to know how many of you would actually like sneak-peaks to the next chapter? If yes, then please do tell me and if enough number of people, let' say at least half of the reviewers ask for the sneak-peaks, then I'll make it a point to include them from next chapter onwards.**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Hello guys! Before I start off with my usual ramble before the new chapter, I'd like to say something. I understand that my writing skills aren't that great and my story might not live upto the expectations of many of the readers out there, but I'd really appreciate it if the negative criticism given is restricted only to the story and not about me and my writing style. One particular reviewer was quite vocal about my writing style and went as far as to say the story was a disgrace and reviews were all given by me. I'll admit the review did hurt quite a bit, so I'm making a simple request to all the reviewers of my story. Please feel free to give any type of criticism about the story, but please do remember that reviews like the one I mentioned before are a little too overboard.**

 **While talking about that particular review, I'd like to thank one particular guest reviewer** **Queen B** **, who was nice enough to offer me encouragement to ignore that one particular review. Thanks a lot Queen B and I assure you that the upcoming chapters will definitely prove that the story was worth your support! Of course, as usual, I thank all the people who took out time to give reviews!**

 **Now, on with the next chapter... Hope you all enjoy it and don't forget to review and rate!**

 **Chapter 8**

Kazuma groggily registered panicked voices and shuffling feet as he got up with a throbbing head. Through the haze, he could feel Ayano shuffle next to him and get up. Then a loud boyish voice shouted, "Will everybody stop running and SHUT IT?!" Then, silence. Blessed silence. A pair of emerald eyes looked down at him in concern as the owner of the voice asked, "Are you all right, Kazuma? Are you hurt anywhere? What happened?" Kazuma barely croaked out, "Need… water." His brother nodded and turned to some servant girl standing nearby, asking her to get some water. His brother pulled him forward and shook him gently and said, "Snap out of it Kazuma. You gave us all quite a scare, dropping through those flames right in the middle of the meeting room. Whose flames were those? And how did Ayano end up with you?" Kazuma groaned and said, "Ren, let me breathe. I feel like I've been in an oven." Near him, Ayano whined, "What the hell? My head hurts so much…" Next, Genma deadpanned, "Why is it that you two always end up in such near-dead situations?" Luckily, Jugo intervened, "Later Genma. Let's get them cleaned up first. We can talk later." Kazuma silently agreed. Way too much had happened in one day.

An hour later, the head family sat down in one of the more private rooms in the house. No one started the conversation or questions. To lighten the mood, Jugo finally said, "I think Ren would make a great clan head, don't you think Genma? He actually shouted loud enough for the remaining branch members to stop panicking!" Ren, on the other hand, flushed and quickly said, "Sorry, Uncle Jugo. I didn't mean to offend or overrule you. I was just worried about Kazuma and Ayano." Jugo replied, placating Ren, "I know. You needn't apologise. You did the right thing." Ayano cleared her throat, drawing everybody's attention. She started, "I know I have a lot of explaining to do. But, I swear, I did it all for a reason. Even now, I won't tell you the whole thing, just the parts you need to know." Jugo sighed, "Why not Ayano? You know we all just want to help you."

Ayano sat upright and looked her father in the eye and said, "I cannot share certain things with everyone, not even you, Father. It is my burden to bear, and be rest assured, I will earn your trust, one way or the other." Genma spoke, "You are not just any fire mage. You are the heir of the Kannagi Family, and your actions have great consequences on your family. Do you still feel that you can do this on your own?" Ayano replied, "Yes, I believe I have depended on you", she paused and looked at all of them, but caught Kazuma's eyes and held as she continued, "all of you, for quite a while. It's time I learnt to walk alone." Silence fell. Jugo tried, "Ayano, we know you can handle yourself all alone, but we just don't want you get hurt, like this time." Ayano got up and stretched out her arms, letting them see her fading signs of wounds from her ordeal a few months back, and said, "Even with all of you around, I still got kidnapped." Kazuma visibly flinched away, and noticing his reaction she rushed to say, "and I'm not blaming any of you for this. It's clear that our opponents are stepping up their game, it's time we stepped up ours. We cannot sit back, _I_ cannot sit back. As the heir, as a Kannagi, as a practitioner of fire magic, I'm responsible for innocent lives that can be taken away. I want to be a person who can protect others, not seek protection from others." Kazuma turned to her angrily and said, "Well said, Kannagi. Of course, nothing less to be expected from the heir. But get this one fact straight – you aren't ready to take on everything they're gonna throw at you. Not one bit." Ayano quietly replied, "And you'll be the judge of my abilities, Kazuma. Just like you said, I'm not ready. So, obviously it means I need to be stronger."

 _Pin drop silence_. No one spoke. Kazuma looked at Ayano, really looked at her. He had finally figured out what the Spirit King of Fire had meant, about Ayano awakening her powers. He studied her and said, "I suppose you are going to tell the rest about the Spirit King?" Ayano looked surprised, "You know? How?" Kazuma reached out and flicked her forehead, causing her to lean back in pain. He said, "I was right there, when you were standing without your senses." Ren raised his hands and said, "Wait! Hold up! Spirit King? You mean the Spirit King of Fire?" Kazuma nodded and continued, "Yep, we did. I think she was the one who gave us a ride home." Genma looked at Ayano and Kazuma with growing interest. Jugo asked, "Did you actually meet with her? This is the greatest of honour, for any person. What did she say?" This time, Ayano spoke up, "You know don't you Kazuma?" Kazuma cheekily replied, "Why don't let the rest of us feel the changes in you?" Jugo and Ren watched them with blank faces and Genma looked slightly curious. Taking a deep breath, Ayano closed her eyes and let her aura's cloak come off.

Jugo's eyes widened as he registered the power flowing from his daughter. Ayano was strong, always strong, but this – this was unprecedented. She sat in the room like a living heat reservoir, enough to warm the entire city, if she so wanted. Genma and Ren seemed to have recognized the change as well. Jugo turned to Kazuma, silently asking him to explain. Kazuma deadpanned, "Your daughter signed a contract with the Spirit King of Fire. She's the Contractor of Fire now."

Ren's hands flew up to his mouth, his emerald eyes sparkling. Jugo leaned back in surprise, while Genma looked impressed. At last, Ren spoke, "Ayano, you are really a Contractor now? That, that means you are as strong as Kazuma now!" Ayano grinned and replied, "I was strong enough to beat him once before, now I'm even more stronger." Kazuma asked, "When did you sign the contract?" Ayano frowned and said, "I don't remember signing any contract formally." Kazuma looked at Jugo and said, "Maybe you should know this. When I found Ayano after she was kidnapped, I saw the entire area scorched completely. The ground was molten rock and charred black. I think, she signed the contract in her split second of panic in captivity, like I did." Jugo quietly looked at his daughter. She was a living legend now, and her life was also in more danger than ever.

Kazuma spoke up, "I also met up with the Spirit King of Wind. We definitely have a problem if two Spirit Kings decided to meet me. And yeah, I'm supposed to pass on a message to you, Jugo, from the Spirit King of Fire." Jugo turned to him. Kazuma continued, "She wanted to me to train Ayano to get into the role of a Contractor. She said you would be fine with it." Jugo replied, "If the Spirit King approves, I don't see any problem to go ahead. You said you met up with the Spirit of Wind, yes? Is it anything important for us?" Kazuma didn't want to openly say that the Wind Spirit also had asked him to help Ayano, so he settled with, "More or less the same thing. Ren's gonna need to train too. Apparently, he and Ayano are special enough for two Spirit Kings to notice."

Genma turned to his younger son, who suddenly looked like a deer caught in the headlights. He started in a panicked tone, "Me?! I'm just a regular normal fire mage! I'm not strong like Ayano!" Jugo smiled and said, "Don't forget that you have mastered the Golden Flame at such a young age. And it was you, Ayano and Kazuma, who stopped Zenon and Belial. You are much stronger than you think." Ayano nodded her head, agreeing with her father. Kazuma then said, "So, any news about Ayano's kidnappers?" Jugo shook his head and said, "They are quite cunning. I cannot get any trace of them, except for that piece of cloth. But I have a sneaking suspicion that Almagest is in this foul play as well." Kazuma drew in a deep breath and said, "You know I can't go tracking them anymore. I need to be with Ayano most of the time. The transition isn't easy, what with the huge of amount of power at your disposal. It's even more dangerous in her case, considering she is the Contractor of Fire. I'm going to help Ayano and Ren, but I'm going to take them separately most of the times. Truth be told, Ayano is beyond the reach of a fire mage now, even a Kannagi head family member. It's best if I take her alone, she'll be able to train more freely with me as her opponent. But, I'm going to let Ren watch her as well, he could pick up some pretty good ideas from her." Kazuma noted that Ren nodded excitedly, but Ayano simply sat there, deep in thought. Ren noticed this as well, and asked, "What's wrong, Ayano?" Ayano didn't answer, but continued to stare hard at the floor in front of her. Ayano's mind was in a whirl. She was a Contractor now, she had all the strength and power she wished for. But, now that she had reached the level of a Contractor, she didn't know what to do next. She still wanted to go on alone and train herself, but the meet with Spirit Kings had thrown all of that into disarray.

Jugo then smiled genially and said, "Now I think it is time for a meal." All of them looked outside to the midday sun shining brightly against the blue sky. Blue sky, Ayano mused, much like a certain Contractor's eyes when he revealed his true power.

 **A/N: I may have bored you all out with my short ramble at the start, so I thought I owe you guys another chapter as compensation... Are you guys up for the next part of the story?**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: As promised, I have your next chapter here. Hope you enjoy it and don't forget to review and rate it!**

 **Chapter 9**

Graduation was nearing, but Ayano barely had anything to think about one of the most important events in her life. While her friends Nanase and Yukari were squealing about their dresses and dates for the dance at school, Ayano worried about perfecting her Enjutsu techniques. Kazuma wasn't a lenient coach and he made sure to rile up her temper whenever and wherever he could. However, now that she herself was a Contractor, her powers were on par with Kazuma's and she could see why he was so powerful. Since she became a Contractor, it seemed like she had been upgraded, physically and mentally. Her senses had become much sharper than before, her movements had pinpoint accuracy, her body had greater resilience to wounds both physical and spiritual and great balance. She had finally mastered the Crimson Flame and now could wield the Azure God's Flame and her father's Purple Flame to a certain degree as well. But today, Yukari and Nanase had talked to Jugo, convincing him to let her free for one day, which resulted in her pitiful predicament as her friends dragged her from one store to another, trying to find her a suitable dress.

"Nanase! Yukari! Let me go!", screamed Ayano. But neither of her friends paid her heed to screams or to the curious looks of people walking by and continued to rush into the next shop among the thousands scattered across the lane. Jugo had bluntly refused Ayano's request of skipping this tiresome chore, saying she needed to enjoy her time while she could. He had also assured her friends that they were free to take her wherever they pleased and no one would interfere with their plans for the day. As a result, Ayano underwent through several embarrassing trials, all resulting in a failure to find the right dress for her. Some seemed too flashy, some too exposing, some were just not right for her. Ayano sighed and thought, "What did I do to deserve this? I really do want to pick a dress, but I can't seem to find anything that I like, something that was made just for me. If I don't pick now, I won't have anything to wear for the graduation after-party. What do I do?" Nanase and Yukari kept picking out dresses tirelessly, shop after shop and Ayano could only marvel at the amount of enthusiasm that they were showing for just a dress.

She said, "Hey, it's OK if I don't get a dress. Why are you guys struggling so much for something so simple?" Yukari and Nanase paused their work and turned to her. Neither said a word for a few minutes, and then Yukari said, "You want to know why it's so special for us? It's because this is probably the last time you will ever get to spend as a regular teenaged girl without worrying about war, death, enemies, taking over family responsibilities, dealing with Youma and sometimes equally creepy humans and everything else that we can't even imagine. I, I mean to say, _we_ want you to have the best time of your life with us, one last time, before we lose our best buddy to a lot more serious issues." Nanase said, "While I wouldn't really put it so emotionally, Yukari's right. We want you to have the best time you can possibly have because once you go away, you would be so wound up in problems you probably might not even remember us. Or you could be in so much danger you possibly can't live a normal life anymore. I know it sounds silly, but sometimes happy memories can keep you sane during the worst times. We want our last present to be a happy memory from which you can draw strength from, when you need it. Now, anymore questions? We are kind of busy trying to pick a dress." Ayano watched them silently with a soft smile and teary eyes. She truly had the best of friends in the world.

Kazuma and Ren sat in a little café, bored out of their minds. Ayano's friends had sneakily asked them to find something good for Ayano for her dance. While Kazuma had blatantly refused, he couldn't say to that puppy-eyed expression of his brother, and he had been dragged into one of the busiest streets in Tokyo, trying to find something for Ayano. Ren had collapsed after a long, tiring, albeit fruitless search, and so now they were resting in the café, watching people pass by. Ren groaned and whined, "Why is buying things so complicated for girls? We've been searching for so long, but we still couldn't get anything."

Leaning back on his chair, Kazuma looked out of the corner of his eye accusatorily, and said, "Well, it's all your fault. You dragged me into this mess, now we're both stuck." Ren raised his hands in a placatory gesture and replied, "Hey, I was just trying to buy something for Ayano, OK? It's a really special day for her." Neither said anything as they watched passer-by's walk by, lost in conversations and thoughts. Kazuma leaned his chin on his hand, looking bored out of his mind. Suddenly, Ren piped up and asked, "Kazuma! What would you buy for a girl you _really, really_ like?" Kazuma knew what his brother indirectly meant. He replied, "I dunno, maybe a necklace or a pair of shoes? We've been looking so far around those lines, we ended up nowhere." Ren sat up excitedly and said, "Kazuma you definitely know what girls like right? I mean you bought stuff for Tsui Ling…" Ren realised his mistake too late as he watched Kazuma's face become lacklustre on being reminded of his late girlfriend.

Kazuma turned his face, not letting his brother see the pain that washed over him whenever her name was taken. Maybe he was cursed to remain laden with guilt all his life for not saving her life, but escaping with his. After a while, Ren quietly said, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you upset or anything." Kazuma replied quietly, "I know."

Nanase and Yukari sighed. This was turning out to be very, very difficult. Ayano was incredibly beautiful, with her flame like eyes, and equally fiery crimson hair that hung down her back like a curtain of expensive silk. The irony was that she never really realised how beautiful she looked and her insecurities just shot over the roof whenever Kazuma commented on her. While it was plain enough to both that Kazuma genuinely did care for Ayano, much more than he let on, Ayano seemed to be stuck in the belief that he wouldn't give a damn about her if her father wasn't paying him for that. While they were also privy to the fact that Ayano's father himself had blessed the pair by trying to set them up, Ayano remained oblivious to the fact above. They didn't tell her of course, but they were trying to pick a dress that would specifically sweep Kazuma off his feet when he sees her.

Ayano sighed and leaned on her arms, looking outside the window of the umpteenth store that they had come to. The search was proving to be futile and she felt she had wasted a lot of time for just picking out a dress, when she should have been training. She wondered if Ren was training now with his brother, getting stronger by the day. Suddenly, a chill set in her bones. She involuntarily shivered, trying to find out why she was so cold in the middle of the day. She tried to brush the sinking feeling away, when she felt a foreboding that something was wrong. She turned around to ask her friends to get moving, but she never got the chance.

A shrill scream resounded through the store and before anyone could react, the store exploded, sending waves of heat and fire at the people inside. Nanase screamed as her clothes caught fire, while Yukari tried to bat them out. Ayano snapped into action and shouted, "Nanase! Yukari! I'm coming, don't move anywhere!" Running quickly to her friends, Ayano pushed her hands forward, drawing the flames from Nanase's body into her own. With practice, she had finally managed to master this technique without letting her body heat up excessively. Nanase escaped with charred clothes and minor burns. Drawing her friends close, Ayano said, "I want you both to go, run as fast as you can. Get to safety quickly." Yukari tried to protest, but Nanase stopped her with a wave of her hand and said, "I understand. I'll make sure Yukari gets home safely. I'm sorry about the dress part, if only..." Ayano shook her head and smiled. Trust her friends to be worried about something so simple when their lives were in danger. She said, "Your safety matters more than my clothes. Seriously, get going and stay safe. If you face any problems, call up my house, they'd definitely help." Nanase nodded and turned, but stopped again and looked at the trailing Yukari. Ayano frowned. Without warning, both girls bounded forward and wrapped their arms around Ayano tightly and whispered, "I know you are strong, but stay safe. Come back safe, 'K?" Ayano mutely nodded and hugged them back and said, "I'll do my best. You should go now." With her friends, out of danger's way, Ayano could finally get to work.

Ren heard screams and got up swiftly, pushing his chair back in the process. He said agitatedly, "Kazuma, did you hear that?" His brother however, was faster in reacting, he pulled Ren into his arms and shot upward into the skies, using the ensuing confusion around them to fly away unnoticed. Reaching high into the sky, Kazuma reduced his speed and hovered in mid-air, with Ren wrapping his arms around his waist. From their elevation, it was very easy for the siblings to spot the smoke and flames raging around a shop not far away from the café where they had rested. Wasting no more time, Kazuma shot towards the shop, securing his brother's arms around his waist.

Ayano squinted through the thick smoke. The heat and flames were no danger for her, they were her allies. Through the haze, she could barely make out silhouettes of a man and woman. She couldn't decide if they were the culprits, but taking no chances, she cloaked her spirit energy and chose to observe them from behind the fallen cupboard. Their activities seemed to be suspicious, judging from their calculated movements and their heads whipping around, clearly looking for something. Ayano quietly approached the pair, taking care to not stumble on the debris still burning around her. Outside, sirens of police vehicles and ambulances broke above screams of people trying to get away from the place, adding to the commotion even more. Soon enough, she was close to them, close enough to hear what they were saying, but still remain unnoticed. She turned her ear towards them and tried to hear what they were saying.

"Looks like the job is done, Henry. I think they should be around here somewhere…" Ayano frowned, so this was planned. "Come on Martha, they can't escape this, after all three little weak girls out on graduation shopping can't do much about an exploding store. I'd wager at least one is dead.", said the male. Ayano's blood froze. _Three girls out on graduation shopping? Three girls?_ The next statement by the woman clinched her suspicions for good. "Well, two are defenceless, don't count out the feisty little fire mage. She packs more firepower than 10 crates of dynamite. I bet my life that the fireball is hiding out somewhere here. Fire like this can't put a scratch on her." The final blow had fallen. Ayano felt she was turning into more of a danger than protection for her powerless friends who shouldn't even be involved in this mess. Gulping, she listened further. The woman snorted and said, "Whatever. I just want to get the heir and walk out of this smoky mess. Or one of her pathetic little friends. If we take one of them, she'll take the bait and follow right down into the trap. "Ayano smirked. The pair hadn't really considered the fact that they could have escaped. But one thing unnerved her. The pair seemed to know a lot about her and her friends. How long were they being stalked?

The pair continued talking, "Well, let's search. We can't go back with empty hands to Master. One of them must be knocked out somewhere here. Honestly though, I really don't wanna see the Master pissed off." The man continued, "We haven't really seen the guy up close. I mean, none of the underlings have actually seen him. He seems like some noble dude, from overseas. I'm thinking, what is he doing meddling with stuff in Japan?" The woman retorted, "Why do _we_ need to care about that? We want the money and those magical stuffs that he was talking about. We finish the job, get the prize, and walk out. Simple and clean. If you see the fireball, knock her out with the tranquilizer, take a higher dose just in case. Make sure you cuff her with those handcuffs. Now, stop talking and start working." The man saluted her with two fingers and shuffled away. Ayano stayed deathly still, trying not to make any noise. But she didn't need to worry about them finding her because just then a gale sprung up right in the middle of the destroyed store, swiftly putting out the burning embers and blowing away lighter debris. Ayano felt a familiar shiver of anticipation run down her spine. There was no mistaking this spiritual energy. It was Kazuma.

Ayano couldn't keep her irritation down. She thought, "How does Kazuma exactly pop up wherever I go? Does he have some homing device on me or something? God, my skirt! His winds are as perverted as him, the jerk!" She hurriedly tried to pat down her skirt, which had flown up exposing her upper thighs. But that turned out to be the wrong thing to do, because she heard the woman, Martha, she thought, walk towards her and shout, "Looks like we have the girl! Come here quickly you moron! We need to bundle her up fast before she escapes!" Seconds later, her partner's reply rang, "You found her? I'll be right there! Don't let her go!" Ayano thought, "Don't let her go, my foot! I'll see how _you_ idiots get away from _me_. This time, I'm taking the glory, not that perverted jerk of a wind mage!" Deciding that hiding was useless, she came out from her hidden place and uncloaked her spiritual energy and said, "You jerks were looking for me, right? Let's see if you can take me on!" Barely wasting a breath, she launched forward towards the woman, who seemed shocked. The woman exclaimed, "You are conscious!? How is this possible!? We detonated enough explosives to kill you!" Ayano pushed stray strands of her hair back and replied, "Well, obviously, you misjudged. Either way, weren't you here to capture me? If your boss found you making conversations with me, I don't think he's going to be happy. So cut the crap and fight me!". The woman scoffed and asked, "Aren't you supposed to be some big shot fire magic user? You look like a weak little teenager. I suppose we gave you a little too much credit." Around the pair, the winds whipped faster, lifting Ayano's hair upwards, almost as though alerting them that their master was here. Ayano said, "Well, if you are so interested, why don't I demonstrate? ENRAIHA, COME FORTH!" A clap of hands and a blast of heat and Ayano stood still with her blade pointing towards the woman. The woman's eyes widened and she hastily drew out 2 identical daggers from within her blouse, crossing them in front of herself, standing defensively. Just then, the man burst through and seeing the scene, froze, not noticing that the winds were whipping around him. Ayano said, "Let the games begin…".Grasping Enraiha with both hands, she yelled, "YAH…!" and jumped forward, her blade blazing with yellow flames.

The woman barely flinched as her daggers clashed with her opponent's flaming blade. Ayano felt something push against her blade as she tried to force the woman to submit to her and clashed with her opponent's daggers, hilt to hilt. It seemed as though the daggers were embellished with some form of protective magic, because if they were normal weapons, Enraiha's heat alone would have melted them into molten metal. Ayano frowned. Her opponents were more prepared than she thought. Tightening her grip, she prepared to strike the woman again, failing to notice the man closing up behind her with a tranquilizer gun.

 **A/N: And... we have a cliffhanger people! Will Ayano be taken again, for good this time? Wait for your next update!**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Hey, everybody! Hope I have kept you all still interested in the story. As always, I thank all the readers who took out time to leave reviews for the story. This chapter is more of a filler, and it's the next chapter that is going to reveal a lot mot interesting information.**

 **I hope you all enjoy this chapter and review and rate it!**

 **Chapter 10**

Kazuma surveyed the flames being blown away by the winds that he generated. Touching down on the ground, he let his brother run forward before shoving his hands into his pockets and following slowly. He couldn't identify anything particularly worrisome; It seemed like something explosive had just gone off at the wrong place and time. He strolled over to the crowd gathering around the destroyed store and watched his brother try to get closer by pushing through the crowd. But he knew he could never be too careful. Sometimes even the most mundane situations could suddenly come back to bite later, so no harm done in just sweeping the area once.

Ren desperately tried to push his way through the crowd. Something told him this was no ordinary blast. True, nothing could escape his brother's senses, but for some reason he couldn't quite put his finger on, he could feel a chilling shiver run down his spine as he tried to get closer. Through the clustering, confused mass of people he could barely see anything thanks to his height, and then one panicking man pushed him down while trying to run away. Ren flinched as he fell, gravel and small stones embedding themselves in his palms as he tried to balance himself. He felt Kazuma get closer and said while getting up, "I don't know why, but I definitely feel something is out of place. It's not a spiritual disturbance, but I think something is wrong and I think Ayano is somewhere involved in this. Do you sense her anywhere?" Kazuma ran his hand through his hair and cocked his head aside, considering Ren's suspicions. Now that Ayano had proven to be quite a powerful Enjutsushi and spiritual energy manipulator, while being the Contractor of Fire to boot, it was easy to believe that she could be right here cloaking herself from others. Heck, he'd do the same thing if he were in her situation. Failing to see any other option, he turned to Ren and said, "I am going to in go to check out what's inside. Now, I want you here, looking out for danger from outside. The police should be here soon, and then Detective Kirika too. Help them out, and wait outside. Don't follow me in. If it is the work of a Youma, I'll flush it out to a nearby place and you can purify it. Got it?" Ren nodded and replied, "Alright, be careful. If you take too long, I am coming right in." Kazuma nodded and slipped the debris blocking the entrance to the store.

As soon as he stepped through, he felt an immense spike in spiritual energy, something that he was now accustomed to associating with a certain fiery princess. So Ren had been right after all. Perhaps, being a Kannagi, a direct blood relative had alerted him to her presence, inspite of the fact that she had cloaked herself all this time. Maybe his banishment from the family had dulled his inner senses to her danger, while Ren had perceived it. Kazuma sighed, idiotic danger-prone girl. He lets her out of his sight for a minute and when he is back, she is back to fighting something. Whatever would he do with this hot-headed girl of his? Shaking his head, he quickened his steps, tracing the fiery energy trail back to its source.

Kazuma watched from the shadows as Ayano and the woman crossed blades and parried blow after blow. Both seemed to be equally matched, judging from the sweat pouring off in rivulets from their foreheads, clothes stained with sweat and deep gasping and breathing. But the woman blinked for a second and Ayano, waiting for a slip on her opponent's part reached out with her blade to stab her near her heart, a vital part. But in her haste, she had evidently forgotten the man with a needle behind her, a drug of some sort perhaps? Now Kazuma had no doubts about what was going on. He had watched enough and now, it was time to join the had let her get kidnapped once, he wasn't going to let that happen again, especially on his watch. Just as the man raised his hand, Kazuma flicked his wrist and sent a blade of wind, neatly cutting off his arm. "AARH!" The agonised scream of the man as he held his now injured arm was enough to distract the battling pair. While the woman turned to look at her partner, Ayano did not need to look to know who was responsible. No one's spiritual energy could press down upon her like his.

Without looking his way, she tried to tone down her breathing and said, "What are you doing here?" Kazuma asked in return, "Shouldn't I be asking that question?" Fully annoyed for some reason Ayano turned around and said, "Well, Nanase and Yukari dragged me here for a dress to wear for graduation. Then these two idiots came up and ruined everything." Kazuma nodded and feeling especially cheeky, asked, "Since when did you start taking an interest in buying dresses?" Ayano massaged her temples and said monotonously, "Not now, Kazuma. Put a toe out of line and I swear I'll burn you inside out." Kazuma actually retreated a few steps back; Ever since she became the Contractor, she had become his equal in power and strength, meaning her blows were a lot more harder and powerful than before, which simply meant much more severe injuries for him if she attacked. Suddenly, the conversation was broken by the sound of the woman and her injured partner escaping through a hole in the far end of the store. Ayano raised her blade and shot blasts of fire at the two, but they managed to escape. Almost perfectly, mused Kazuma as he walked over to their escape route to find a piece of cloth that had snagged there. It definitely didn't belong to the store of gowns for girls. On closer observation, Kazuma made out a peculiar design – A figure rising out of flames. Flames in black? Black Flames Clan?

Ayano stood near Kazuma, trying to see the object he was holding in his hand. Unable to rein in her curiosity, she asked, "What is this?" Kazuma turned towards Ayano, but did not voice out his suspicions. Instead he said, "No clue. Probably Jugo and the old man know. We'll just have to take it to them, I guess. Now come on, princess. Time to go home." Ayano started, "I sent Nanase and Yukari home before this mess. You came here alone?" Kazuma scoffed and said, "Why do you care? I go alone, I go with a girl, how does it matter to you?"

Actually, Kazuma wanted to see how much he could anger her now. Ayano remained silent, but the agitating flame spirits around her were a dead giveaway of her thoughts. Sniggering, Kazuma wrapped an arm around her shoulder and said, "Alright, I came with Ren. Are you jealous, princess? Or worried that I might go away with some girl?" Even though the last question sent her into a flurry of internal panic, Ayano spat back, "Like I care about who you spend your time with! You can do whatever you want, I don't care! Not one bit!" Feeling suddenly foolish, she threw his arm off her shoulder and walked away quickly towards Ren. If she had turned around, she would have seen the Contractor of Wind following her with a soft smile, a knowing smile that he knew all too well what was going on inside her head.

As soon as he saw Ayano, Ren breathed an audible sigh of relief. It turned out that his instincts were right after all. Ren bounded towards and wrapped Ayano in a tight hug and said, "I am so glad you are alright. What were you doing here either way?" Ayano hugged him back before replying, "I am fine, you worry too much. Besides, we better get home fast. I have news to give." By then Kazuma had reached to, and Ren wasted no time and hugged his brother and said, "Glad that you are safe too. Ayano said we need to go home now. Shouldn't we investigate a little bit?" Kazuma didn't want to start a new argument in front of an apparent accident scene; It's better to have the conversation at home. He shook his head in reply and said, "No, Ayano is right. We need to give the news to those old geezers there. If we are needed, I'm sure Detective Kirika will drop us a message. Now everyone ready to go home?" Ren smiled and wrapped his arms around Kazuma's waist. Ayano stood slightly aloof, put out by Kazuma's teases. Kazuma grinned and without any warning, grabbed her arm and said, "You take too long. Come on!" A sharp tug, and Ayano fell into his embrace and her arms flew around him to keep balance. Making sure that they were invisible, Kazuma flew upwards, letting the air spirits whip up currents to carry them back home. As he flew, he couldn't help but notice the burning heat pressing into his side from Ayano and he unconsciously snuggled her closer to himself, seeking her warmth. If Ayano noticed, she didn't say anything as they flew back to the Kannagi headquarters.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: This chapter is going to throw a twist in the story. It's starts off as Ren-centric but, you see a major jump in Ayano and Kazuma's relationship. That's something we were all waiting for, no? I hope everybody enjoys this chapter, and please do review and rate!

Chapter 11

Back in the headquarters, Ren watched the clouds blow past in the reddish evening sky. He couldn't really understand why but lately his nerves seemed to be on the line all the time, as though he was being unconsciously warned about some danger. Everyone seemed to be debriefed about the whole exploding store thing because of live telecasts and of course, Nanase and Yukari, who had called up Jugo the moment they got back home and to safety. While giving an account of the incident, Ayano said that the people who attacked her this time, and her kidnapper had both referred to someone called Master. That had left out no suspicion about the fact that Ayano was still being targeted. But one good thing seemed to be the fact that they still didn't know that she was now a Contractor, a much more dangerous foe to be reckoned with. Kazuma had then brought about a chilling piece of information – a piece of cloth left behind by the aggressors. It had an ancient emblem on it and Jugo and his father had grimly identified it as one of their nightmares – The Black Flames Clan.

It seemed sinister that all of the enemies of the Kannagi Clan chose to strike against them now. Ren sighed. When would his family ever find peace? While fire mages tended to be exuberant and overly enthusiastic about fighting and spilling enemy blood, Ren was too soft-hearted for such violence. Oh no, that didn't mean he couldn't kill when his turn came, it was just that he preferred violence as a last resort. His pacifist attitude had made him the butt of jokes and ridicules among the children during his childhood but as he grew and established just what exactly he was capable of, those taunts died away to be replaced by a silent grudging respect. Ren stood still, looking down at the water on the surface on the pond. He heard a bird cry out loud as it flew past him in the sky, turning his mind to one of his more sensitive memories – Ayumi. The girl he had fallen in love with. The girl he had failed to protect. The girl who sacrificed herself so that everybody could live.

Since her death, he had closed away from the world and had become quieter, finding solace in silence. While his brother had slowly brought him out to the outside world once more, he knew he had lost a part of the child in him as he watched her crumble into sand in his arms. Kazuma understood him the best; he too had lost a loved one right in front of his eyes. Ren smiled sadly; it seemed that he and brother were destined to be similar in pain and regret rather than strength. He knew he was weaker than Kazuma and Ayano. But that never stopped him from trying his best to gain more strength so that he could protect the ones he loved with his life. Yes, that was his life's aim now. Follow Ayano as the next clan head and do his duty. Ren took a deep breath and exhaled out loud, turning to the sky. Well, he had lazed around enough, time to work on his Enjutsu.

As he practiced, Ren could feel his powers working differently. Before, he could feel the blistering heat of the Golden Flame spreading outwards without his control, but now, they seemed to move as he directed them mentally. He wasn't complaining, this definitely meant improvement. As he manipulated the flames spinning around him, he felt a sudden flare of heat near his heart. Frowning he looked down, to get the shock of his life.

The space near his heart glowed, glowed like molten gold and Golden flames burst through to his skin, wreathing his torso in flickering tongues of fire. He watched in panicked silence as the flames broiled around him, seemingly with a mind of their own. It then struck him to call someone for help, maybe Ayano or Kazuma. But before he could open his mouth, the flames around him sealed him in a fiery tornado. Golden flames rose skywards, cutting him away from the world. But to his interest, his instincts weren't screaming at him to fight or run. He seemed to be in no danger whatsoever. In fact, the flames and the burning heat were welcoming, he rather enjoyed the feverish heat that they offered. He reached out to the tornado of flames surrounding him. As soon as he touched them, he felt his back arch backwards with searing pain and his eyes shut tight.

Ren shuddered inwardly, feeling an uncomfortable coldness creep into him. He opened his eyes, only to find himself surrounded by darkness. "Finally, you wake. I was beginning to think I had summoned your soul the wrong way." Ren shouted, "Who is this? Where am I?" The disembodied voice spoke again, "Relax boy, I mean you no harm. We are… distant relatives, you could say. I am here to help you out." "Help me out? If you really want to help, then send me back! Where am I? Answer me!" The darkness was parted by a searing flame - the Golden Flame – and a tall man walked towards him. He shimmered in with the flames, his features aristocratic, but his facial expression spoke volumes of his wisdom. He said, "First things first, let me introduce myself. I am the second son of the first Contractor of Fire, Daijiro." Ren blanched and said, "Aren't you the one who broke away from the family after trying to kill your own younger brother?!" The man in front of him pinched the bridge of his nose and replied, "Yes, I am the same person. But seriously, why doesn't anybody ask how that happened?" Ren retorted, "This is a story every Kannagi knows. You were jealous of your own brother, weren't you?" The man scoffed, "Me? Jealous of my brother Asahi? I was manipulated into killing him. Why would I shed the blood of my own brother?" "What?" "Yes, now if you will listen to me, I will tell you what truly happened all those years ago."

"As you can see, I am also a wielder of the Golden Flame, definitely not as strong as my siblings but my power was irreplaceable in its own right. While their flames destroyed everything in their path, my flames would selectively destroy only the contaminated parts of our enemies. This proved to be quite useful while exorcising innocent people whose souls had still not been devoured completely by possessing Youma. But, when I was out on an assignment, one of the Youma that I purified contaminated my aura, and I, sadly, did not notice it. In time, the Youma slowly twisted my thoughts and actions and by the time, I regained enough sense to banish it from within me, the damage had already been done. To punish myself, I walked away from my family and many of my followers were too devoted to me to let me walk away alone. And so, they swore to remain by my side until death and walked out with me." Ren sharply took in a breath as he heard the story. He asked, "So, why am I here now?"

The man chuckled and said, "Well, very few people truly understand how powerful the Golden Flame is. It is incredible to watch the flame work its magic because among all the Divine Flames, the Golden flames possess the ability to create, heal and restore. Only ones with true compassion and a zeal for upholding all that is right can wield this flame and you, my boy, are one of a kind. As soon as your sister became the Contractor, it became easier for me to reach you, and admittedly your use of the Golden Flame helped my spirit reach yours. Now, I know that you feel your flames are too weak in comparison to that hot headed Contractor, but, sometimes, bloodshed needn't be the answer. Sometimes, you can win the war without losing lives, if you take the right choice. Both the Contractors of Wind and Fire will be consumed in their maelstrom of magic and they will lose control and lose sight of their true purpose, but you must remain clear-headed. Be their guide when they lose their way. Don't let them walk a path of rage and pain. Keep them to the path of light and warmth always. And for that, you need to truly master that Golden flame of yours."

Ren asked, "But what about the clan that attacked Ayano? Wasn't that your clan after all?" Daijiro replied with a grim expression, "I will not deny that it is my clan. My clan was relatively peaceful during its early times. But all of that stopped when the ancestor of that blasted Berharndt convinced my clan members that they could become stronger using the power of the darker Youma that wield flames as a weapon. Of course, that evil man was just looking for a new power reservoir to awaken a demon lord, what better than a clan that once directly belonged to the Kannagi Clan? My people were fooled and they paid their souls as a price in their quest for power. Now, the entire clan has been enslaved and generation after generation, fire mages in my clan have sold their souls to the Youma, in exchange for power. As the clan's founder, I intend to remedy that and you alone, Ren, can heal and restore the clan's purity and strength. Not the Contractors, not your father, not your uncle, but you. You may be wondering, why did I ask you to master the Golden Flame and not Ayano. Ayano is the most powerful fire mage alive today, but her affinity is towards the Crimson Flame. You, on the other hand, have an affinity for the Golden Flame, hence the flame will respond to you more subconsciously than to her." Ren talked for long with his distant ancestor who promised to be his guide in mastering the Golden Flame. As he felt his consciousness lower back into his body, he could feel his heart become lighter. He had a purpose, a duty, a promise that he would keep even at the cost of his life.

Ren opened his eyes to see the golden tornado around him gradually tone down and soon dissipate into wisps that danced in the air. It seemed like no one had really seen what had happened. As he walked quickly to his father and Uncle to let them know of his vision, a particular pair sparring against each other with wind and fire stopped him in his tracks. He, like Jugo, wanted Ayano and Kazuma to get together as soon as possible so that Kazuma could finally become a permanent part of the family once again. Sending a silent prayer to all the gods above to sort their issues, he continued to walk to his destination.

Ayano sat down, exhausted completely after her hand to hand duel with Kazuma. She may have become the Contractor, but Kazuma's experience still let him beat her everytime she fought him. But, now something had changed between them. Looking at the wind mage beside her, out of the corner of her eyes, she found herself studying his features, his wind-blown brown locks, calm brown eyes in which you could drown just by looking, a chiselled nose… God, the guy was gifted with looks that could destroy girls at first glance. There had been times when she had denied, even to herself, the attraction she felt towards him. But after spending so much more time with him, she simply couldn't deny her strong feelings for him. It wasn't because of his looks, of course his looks had swept even her off her feet, but she could relate with him on a more subtle level when talking about protecting the people they loved. But, she was scared. So scared of the thought that if he ever got wind of her feelings, he would distance himself from her. If she couldn't have him love her like she loved him, she atleast wanted to stay beside him as a close friend.

Kazuma felt himself shiver as he felt Ayano's gaze. She wasn't saying anything, just watching. For the first time, he was getting uncomfortable by a girl checking him out. He suddenly had this random urge to just turn and kiss her senseless, but good sense prevented him from doing so. The girl beside him was as innocent as a lamb and she'd just freak out if he came too close to her. But, as he felt her gaze intensify, he turned his head to look at her, just to be stunned. She was looking at him, but with an expression he never thought was possible from her. It was awe and admiration shining in her eyes, a faint touch of pride, but what drew his attention was the concern and – dare he say it – love, love for him as she silently continued to gaze at him. He felt his throat jump as he swallowed, as he thought _don't go close, don't, don't lose control_ , but every thread of control that he had snapped into nothing. _Ah, screw this_ , he thought, as he reached forward with his hands and cupped her cheeks staring into her eyes, looking for her usual anger or embarrassment. But there was nothing. Absolutely nothing except trust and love. Kazuma felt his heart swell up in earth-shattering happiness as he finally let a grin slip past his guard and pulled her close, and kissed her. He had technically taken her first kiss when he had saved her from that spiritual wound after her first fight with Ryuya, but this, this was so much more. Her lips were so soft and warm, and the sudden hitch of breath as he kissed her sent a thrill running down his spine, and he felt the winds around him respond to his happiness. H couldn't remember feeling this happy, no, not even with his first love. This was ethereal, this was magic at its pinnacle.

Ayano felt her eyes widen as Kazuma leaned in and kissed her. She felt herself panic, why had she not pushed him away? But all other thoughts fled her mind as she felt his lips on hers, and a warm feeling settled within her stomach. Around them, fire and wind spirits danced in the air, obviously influenced by the rush inside both. She didn't know what to do. A part of her wanted to push him away and run to the hills while another wanted to just savour the moment, who knew when such a moment would come back? In the end, her wish to feel Kazuma's aura around her made her stay and involuntarily she put his arms around his neck and pulled him close even as he slid his hand down from her cheek down to her waist, wrapping it around her and pulling her to his frame. She could practically feel sparks race from head to toe as she pressed closer to him, fingers running through his brown hair. Through closed eyes, she saw Kazuma's aura, a churning azure blue wrap itself around her own fiery one. Too soon, they pulled away, foreheads touching, panting for breath.

Kazuma murmured, "Ayano… "Subconsciously, he felt his spiritual energy wrap around Ayano, almost as though shielding her from the world around him. As he looked at the flame-haired girl, a sudden insecurity arose. He had practically bared his heart in that one kiss, and if she rejected him, he'd probably be so broken no one could ever piece him together again. He waited, desperate to get some sign from her. He did get one. Ayano just kept turning redder by the second and her eyes widened, and she gave a squeal and pushed him. Her sudden movement caught them both by surprise and they unceremoniously fell on top of each other, and ended up with Kazuma at the bottom. Ayano suddenly realised her compromising position and squeaked loudly as she saw Kazuma grab her by her wrists and shift their positions so that he was on top of her now. She gulped, when she looked up to see darkening eyes.

Kazuma was annoyed to say the least. For once, he actually did not push her away and now she tried to run away from him. Oh, enough was enough! He'd get his way through to that thick head of hers even if it was the last thing he'd do. He practically growled at the red girl beneath him, "And where do you think you are going, Princess?" Ayano's ears practically gave off steam as she tried to push him off her, "Get off me, you jackass! Who do you think you are? How dare you just kiss me, WITHOUT MY PERMISSION!?" Kazuma looked upwards and sighed, typical of Ayano. He sighed and pinned her even more firmly, not letting her move even an inch. What did she think she was doing? Letting him kiss her, then kissing him back and then pushing him away? How frustrating could she be! He practically breathed into her ear as he said, "Well, you should stop struggling if you don't want me to put in you in a more inappropriate position." Ayano snorted and replied, "Like my current position is very appropriate. Let me go, you pervert!" Kazuma stubbornly shook his head and said, "Oh, no today we are definitely talking."

Ayano huffed and blew away a stray strand of hair on hair as she lay flat on the ground beneath Kazuma and said, "What is there to talk about?" Kazuma was irritated now. He snapped, "Don't think about giving out smartass comments because I sure as hell want real answers to my questions. Now." Ayano replied with a smirk, "In return for my freedom, I suppose? I will never lose to you, not now not ever!" Kazuma growled, "Can you just answer my questions instead of being such a pain in the ass?" Ayano shot back, "Alright! I'll do anything to just get _your_ heavy ass off me!" Kazuma suddenly became very quiet and simply watched her. To say the least, he was a little worried about her answer to his question. _Oh well, now or never_ , he thought and asked, "Areyoulookingataboy?" Ayano looked flabbergasted as she struggled against his grip and said, "I didn't understand a word of what you said!" Kazuma repeated, a little slowly, "Are you looking at a boy?" Ayano gave him a quizzical expression and said, "Yeah I am." Kazuma practically blasted on the inside, and he glared at her, "And if I may know, who is that idiot?" Ayano bristled and said, "And why do you care? You have no say in my likes and dislikes, absolutely not." Kazuma asked in a dangerously low tone, "I asked who it was. Just answer the question." Ayano blushed and turning her head away from his intense gaze, muttered, "And how does that matter to you?" Kazuma's stomach clenched as he contemplated the possibility of competition. Perhaps, just a little bit of jealousy had thrown him off balance. Alright, who was he kidding? A lot of it was churning around in his insides. His little competition better run away before he finds him. Kazuma deadpanned, "Can you just answer the damn question?"

Ayano wondered if she should really open up to him now. Well, her compromising situation wasn't helping her either and all she could concentrate on was his weight above her and their auras crackling as they came too close. No, denial was still better than admitting it to him of all people. With a red blush dusting her cheeks, she replied, "I told you, I don't like anybody!" Kazuma replied, "That's a lie and you know it." "And how do you know that?" "Then why are you blushing?" Ayano cursed herself; why did her emotions always have to show themselves so easily?

Kazuma sighed and said, "Why is it always so complicated with us?" Ayano bit her lower lip and said, "I don't know what you are talking about." Kazuma said, "Alright, if there is really nothing, then you can just walk away when I take my arms off." He sat back up on his knees, letting her free. Ayano sat up, rubbing her bruising wrists and glared at him, but made no move. Kazuma cocked an eyebrow and said, "And you were saying…?" Ayano gritted out, "Just tell me head-on whatever you want to say." Kazuma got up and gave her a hand to pull her up along with him. He ran his hand through his hair as his irritation just grew with her denseness. Ayano frowned as she watched him. He definitely was very frustrated. But between her wildly beating heart and irritation at his perverseness, she really couldn't figure out why he was frustrated. Finally giving up, she threw her hands up in the air and shouted, "What the hell is your problem, Kazuma? One time you push me away, the next you are practically hovering behind me. It's almost like you have two sides at the same time. I can't put up with your crap now, I have my life and my role as the Kannagi heir to worry about and you aren't mmphh…"

Kazuma had had enough, it was time she shut up because her answers weren't helping him. He barely hesitated before closing the distance and kissing her again. He hardly registered the choking sound she made as he wrapped his arms around her and drew her impossibly closer. Her feverish heat had always attracted him and it only seemed to intensify as he kissed her. Soon enough, he was filled a smug satisfaction as he felt her resistance decrease and respond back. Drawing away, breathing hard, he panted, "I dare you to tell me to move away now." Ayano didn't say anything. She just stood limp in his arms. He frowned before tipping her chin up and was shocked to see pearly tears course down her cheeks.

Ayano remained in Kazuma's arms, hating herself for letting him catch her unaware so easily. Was she becoming so blind in her feelings for him that she couldn't even push him away? She was sure that he was just playing with her; he had only let his guard down for 1 girl and that girl now stood resurrected in a twisted way. He'd never turn her way, not now, not ever. His heart belonged to Tsui Ling forever. Ayano asked in a trembling voice, "Are you done playing around me?" Kazuma frowned and said, "Playing around? What gave you that idea?" Ayano raised her chin fully, letting him see the flames flickering within, a sign that her emotions were running out of bounds. She continued, "What else do I call this? Why else would you do all this with me?" Kazuma asked in an odd tone, "Is this what you think it is? Alright, you've proved that you are incapable of understanding even direct confessions. Maybe, you never grew up inside that thick head of yours. I can't believe I'm actually going to spell it out for you." Ayano knew something big was coming up, her instincts were never wrong. Just as Kazuma was going to continue, an explosion knocked them off their feet and they crashed into the ground, small stones embedding into their exposed skin.

 **A/N: BOOM! There we go, one MORE cliff-hanger. But just as a small sneak-peak... The final battle is gonna come soon!**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Hello guys! I have your next chapter here! As always, I thank all those readers who took time to give reviews for the previous chapters and I hope all of you continue to give me reviews for the all the remaining chapters. And, yes, please read the author's note at the end of the chapter too.**

 **Hope you all enjoy reading this chapter and don't forget to rate and review!**

 **Chapter 12**

As the dust cleared, they felt the black aura, the cold emptiness that accompanied the presence of a Youma. But this one seemed special. Its power was off the charts and Ayano could barely raise her head while shivering with fear. Beside her Kazuma groaned and got up as well, quickly registering the Youma's presence. Something seemed off about the whole thing and the omnious feeling just intensified as the Youma spoke in its raspy, grating voice.

The Youma's black shadowy figure said, "I am the Lieutenant of Lord Belial, Master of Hell. I have come with a formal declaration of war against the Kannagi Clan and its allies on behalf of my Master, and his servants Bernhardt and his allies, The Clan of the Black Flames, for interrupting his ceremony of summoning Lord Belial. If you refuse to surrender, we will destroy you at your roots. Not even a smudge of ash will be left when we Youma are done with you. But my master offers a compromise. If the Kannagi heir is handed over without struggle, my master will not call for war. Do you agree to the terms?" Just as Ayano was about answer, Kazuma stepped forward, pushing her behind him with a warning glare. Ayano glared right back; she wouldn't back down now. Not only her pride as the Contractor, but also her responsibility of protecting her clan was at stake.

Just then, Ayano felt the familiar auras of Ren and Genma approach with her father trailing behind. Genma stopped beside them and giving them a once over, checking for possible injuries, he turned to the Youma and said, "We, the Kannagi, will not accept such vile conditions from degraded ones such as you." The Youma started wheezing, and Ayano suddenly realized it was actually laughing in a sickening way. The Youma said, "Maybe, you need an incentive. How about this young man here, the Contractor of Wind?" Ayano and Ren started, "Touch him, we'll erase you from the plane of existence" The Youma scoffed and said, "Let's see". Suddenly, the entire area was shrouded in darkness as the Youma spread out its sickening aura, poisoning the very air. Ayano could feel her eyes growing heavy as she breathed in the poisonous air, but Kazuma summoned air spirits to blow away the poisonous air from around them. However, the Youma took advantage of his momentary distraction to wrap poisonous tentacles around his arms and legs to pull him closer to it. As fast as Kazuma cut its tentacles with blades of wind, they kept growing and multiplying and soon, the aura hid even the sun, sinking the entire compound into a pallor gloom.

Ren desperately fought against the raging winds that beat against his slight frame as he tried to fight his way to his brother. Nearby, he watched as the God's Flame of his father was blown and scattered away and Genma himself was blown away against a tree, where he sunk against the bark. "NO!", Ren screamed as he saw his father fall. Now, the remaining Kannagi members joined the battle, but when even Genma had failed, they obviously stood no chance. The only source of light in the darkness was Ayano's brilliant Crimson Flame that burned away any noxious vapours and protected the fallen clan members. Even in her Contractor state, she was barely able to keep the fainted clan members safe and prevent the dark aura from spreading outwards. Kazuma had managed to free himself and he continued to purify the air of the poison spreading out of the Youma, while trying to trap the Youma itself down with a huge tornado. Both the Contractors were pushing themselves to their limits, but all they could do was to contain the spread of the dark aura. Jugo was nowhere in sight, but every time a dark tendril lashed against the main house, it lit up in Purple Flames and burnt away. Ren watched with growing apprehension at the state of the few of the most powerful people he had known in his life. They were reduced to defending for their lives and he was no better either. But then he remembered the promise he had made to Daijiro and himself, a vow to keep his loved ones on the right path, no matter what the cost. A new-found resolution was born that moment, and he had no intention of failing himself and breaking his oath. He knew his strength wouldn't help, heck when Ayano and Kazuma failed, he stood no chance. But he still had the perseverance within him, a flaring blaze to save the ones who mattered. He drew on the feeling, filling himself with the familiar spirits of flames and drawing out his Golden Flames to his utmost, risking the danger of being burnt in his very core. He didn't care if he had to sacrifice himself for this; If his clan was saved, nothing else mattered.

Ren managed to get to Ayano and shouted, "I think I can do something to stop this Youma. I think the Golden Flames can still purify the Youma. But to do that, I need you and Kazuma to keep the Youma busy. I need you both to keep the Youma distracted so that I can use the Golden Flames." Ayano screamed in return, "Ren, be careful! We will do all that we can!" From up above, Kazuma nodded in reply, signing that he had heard and agreed to his brother's plan.

Ren immediately ran towards the Youma and stopped a little distance away. Taking a deep breath, he drew his power deep within and curled inwards, concentrating all of his pent-up flames just near his heart. Ren shuddered with amount of energy he had drawn into himself. In his mind, he heard his ancestor, the first wielder of the Golden Flames say, "You are ready. Don't doubt yourself; I will be with you, always. Do not fear." Suddenly, a calm entered his mind and he could see things much clearer. Taking a deep breath, he let his hands spread outwards and threw his head back with a guttural shout, letting all of the compressed energy blast outwards.

Ayano and Kazuma watched Ren with amazement as Ren started glowing with the brilliant light of the Golden Flames. He seemed to keep growing brighter. Unable to look at him directly, both shielded their eyes and watched as the Youma backed away, cowering onto itself. Then, everyone was thrown backwards by a blast of energy from Ren and those who had retained their consciousness on the field watched in awe as wave after wave of Golden Flames poured out of Ren, completely ignoring everything except the darkness spread by the Youma. The flames set the poison in the air on fire, giving out black smoke and searing heat as it burnt the poison away. Seeing the chance, Ayano released a blast of her Crimson Flames right at the Youma, while Kazuma drew up shields around the spectators to protect them from Ayano's flames. Both the Crimson and Golden Flames crashed onto the Youma and began to consume it from the outside. The Youma roared in pain as the flames climbed onto its limbs, burning it to the ground without mercy. The Golden waves did not stop there. As the Youma roared and fell to its knees, the flames directed into the ground, cleansing the land itself of the Youma's poison. As everybody stood up, they could feel the Golden Flames gently wrap around them, healing their wounds and easing their fatigue, filling them with a sense of content and peace. Kazuma walked upto Ayano and with a slight smile, stood near her, shoulders brushing, as they looked at their glowing brother with unconcealed pride.

Ren finally opened his eyes and felt completely drained. He had never used so much of his magic before and it left him drained. In his mind's eye, he watched Daijiro say, "Well done, my boy. You have made me proud." He could barely feel his body and every breath he took hurt immensely. Just as his knees buckled, strong arms caught him. He looked up blearily to see the proud face of Jugo as he said in a raspy voice, "You have made all of us so proud, Ren. The clan will never forget your strength and bravery." Behind Jugo, he saw the tired faces of Kazuma and Ayano, his stoic father, who for once had a proud smirk on his face, the rest of his clan members, as they shouted out his name, proclaiming him a hero. He couldn't be happier. He could finally rest. That was enough for him to close his eyes into fall into a dreamless slumber.

Ayano watched the Youma burn to the ground with a hard expression and raging breath. The very air around her seemed to heat up with her anger at the message brought by the Youma. Kazuma stood beside her, a clenched jaw betraying his tumultuous emotions. Jugo passed Ren to Genma and walked to his daughter with a grim expression. Ayano turned to the sound of her father approaching and said, "What would you have us do next, Father?" Jugo simply said, "Well, we prepare for war. If Bernhardt prepares to unleash the monsters of hell onto Earth, we need to push them back. If they overrun us, humanity is lost for good. I think it's time I shared what Detective Kirika and Genma have found out about the recent events. Let's wait for Ren to recover and then we shall talk. **"**

 **A/N: Now my next update might be little late, so just to be sure, I've put up the next chapter too! Hope you all enjoy it!**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Here you go, as promised, the second chapter of the current update! Hope all of you readers enjoy it!**

 **Chapter 13**

Ayano leaned back, shocked at the new information that her father had just shared. While she was happily shocked about Ren's experience with their clan's ancestor, she was worried that Bernhardt had actually forged an alliance with the clan of the Black Flames in order to destroy the Kannagi Clan. Believing that taking out the heir would weaken the clan, they had tried to kill Ayano, but both times Kazuma had inadvertently saved her. But what Jugo said next shook them all. "I…have also come to the conclusion that Bernhardt has been involved a lot more in our family's affairs than I previously believed. Detective Kirika confirmed it with me a few hours back. It seems that Bernhardt has been targeting our family even before Kazuma was banished. As a result, not long after Kazuma left us, I and Genma lost our wives to his plans. He hired skilled assassins, masters of wielding magic of dark origins, and tortured them day after day. I believe, Ayano, you too were kidnapped by one of those assassins. Eventually, the torture proved too much and before we could rescue them, the pain had driven them both insane. The insanity was so bad that they lost control of their abilities to wield fire and ended hurting themselves with their own flames. We… could not watch our wives suffer, so we took their lives by our own hands. I killed your mother, Ayano, and not a day passes without me wishing I had taken her place. Genma was, to say the least, broken. He'd never show it of course, but he loved his wife all the same." Ayano broke down completely and ran away, pushing away everyone, silent angry tears streaming down her face.

Running far away from her home, she had reached the private graveyard of the Kannagis, where generations of Kannagis had been buried. She stopped before the twin graveyards of her mother and aunt. She had been just a little girl, when she had lost her mother, but she remembered that she had loved her mother more than anything in the world. When her mother had gone for good, she had retreated into a shell, but her father's constant presence had been enough to bring her back wholly to the outside world again. She cringed inwardly as she thought about Kazuma. He had seen his mother one last time, while leaving the family for good, and had gotten to know about her death only recently. As expected, he hadn't shown much emotion on hearing the news, but Bernhardt's involvement had unsettled him, that much she could see. She wondered if he was hurting just like she was right now; did he even hurt at all now? It seemed he was so immune to pain of any kind, sometimes she felt she was dealing with a hard, cold rock. She knew that his life had never been easy like hers had. She had always found acceptance with all the people in her life, while he had never stayed anywhere for too long. It was always a matter of time before the people around him pushed him away or tragedy struck.

Fresh burning tears flowed down her rigid cheeks as she stared hard the gravestone of her mother. Because of one man's selfish desires, she, Ren and Kazuma had lost a huge part of their lives forever. Tsui Ling's death had left Kazuma hollow, a void that she feared she would never fill. How many people's lives had he wrecked in his quest to find power? How many more would bleed so that he could satisfy his selfish whims? How many more had to die before his desires were satisfied? She had no answers to these questions; The only response that she came up with was a heart-wrenching scream directed at the heavens bleeding above, drenching her in the angry rain. She directed her burning rage towards the stormy sky, her Crimson flames lashing out at everything around her with a vengeance. The rain sizzled as it evaporated because of the flames and soon enough, a steamy layer settled around Ayano, obscuring her from the outside world. Within her heated cocoon, Ayano cried for Kazuma, Ren, her father and Genma and it wasn't too long before her sorrow gave way to intense rage. Her anger threatened to melt the very ground as Divine Flames of all kinds spread out from her, reducing everything near her to molten goo and charred ashes. She wasn't a protector anymore; she had become a destroyer, a machine of death. All emotion had died within her, only to be replaced by a burning need to avenge her family. The warmth in her eyes and heart was gone, with an emotionless fire flickering in its place. Her flames concentrated around her spine and soon the Divine Flames formed 2 incredible wings that flickered with every move. Ayano looked to the stormy sky once more and with a hiss and flash of fire, shot straight through the sky, seeking out the man who was responsible for all the pain that she and so many others had suffered.

Kazuma stopped in mid-air as he watched Ayano kneel down in front of the graves of his mother and aunt. Truth be told, he did feel bad, because he knew he had loved her. But he knew Ayano would be devastated; Soon a scream jolted him back to his surroundings as he breathed in sharply. It was Ayano who had screamed like that and he could feel her pained scream cutting him within. As her appointed guard, it was hard enough to watch her break down like this, but being her sworn protector made it damn near impossible to not rush down and sweep her into his arms, never to let go. Her scream had wrecked him from within and for the first time since Tsui Ling's death, he felt his eyes burn as treacherous tears decided to make way down his face, mixing with the rain lashing out at him. Soaked to the bone, he watched as his anger and pain at Ayano's scream intensified the storm, making the rain pelt down even harder. A while ago, he had wanted to take Bernhardt's life as retribution for Tsui Ling's death, but now his heart and mind was set on one purpose – Bernhardt would pay. Hard. Because he had dared to take what was his, not once, but twice. He had lost his first love, but now he had the power to ensure his flaming princess was safe from the bastard's nefarious plans. Just then, he watched in growing horror as Ayano lost control of herself, her rage consuming her from within. She was now completely wrapped in flames and 2 flaming wings seemed to sprout out from her looked like a human phoenix, a living embodiment of the Spirit King of Fire. She then rose into the sky and shot past him, without even noticing his presence. Kazuma's heart lurched, was she becoming like him? Had her powers finally broken out of her hold? Well, he'll be damned if he let her lose her way. She had saved him once and he would do the same for her now.

"AYANO, LISTEN TO ME! YOU CAN'T BE RASH NOW!" Ayano barely heard the familiar voice shout out to her as she shot across the sky, scattering clouds in her wake. But the nagging voice kept screaming; all she wanted was the annoying voice to just leave her in peace. But it never stopped. "AYANO, I SWEAR IF YOU DON'T STOP NOW, I WILL SHOOT YOU DOWN TO THE GROUND! STOP FLYING AWAY FROM ME, YOU HOT-HEADED IDIOT!" Oh, that's enough. She had had enough. She would teach the owner of the voice exactly who he was dealing with. She turned around to face the man. He seemed familiar, but she couldn't really recognise him. Ah, he _was_ someone familiar. Someone she was close to. But who? She remained silent as the drenched man floated to a stop before her, eyebrows drawn together, lips pinched together in a tight line. Both floated in the air, with the pelting rain, raging winds and the flashing lightning as witnesses to the epic battle that was to unfold.

Kazuma watched in apprehension as Ayano looked at him blankly without any sign of recognition. He knew there was only one way to bring her back now, and that was to fight her until she wore out completely. But now, she was in her Contractor state, and had no conscious control over her abilities. She could end up burning herself while drawing energy and even kill herself if worse came to worst. Kazuma ignored the rain and concentrated on the glowing girl before him. Now it made sense a lot, he thought, she was indeed a true daughter of the Spirit King of Fire. Lightning flashed as both warily floated towards each other and the next clap of thunder sent a shuddering blast of energy back as the Contractors of 2 primal elements clashed with one another. The sky turned stormier, lightning and thunder flashed as Kazuma and Ayano parried blow after blow. Enraiha danced in the rain, intercepting Kazuma's blades of wind and vaporising the rainwater in contact with itself and its mistress. While the Crimson Flames raged around Ayano, Kazuma's blue aura seemed to charge up from the storm around them.

They had fought for nearly 15 minutes, and neither showed signs of weakening. Down below, people cowered in their closed homes, wondering which god had been angered for the elements to pelt down this way. Miles away from the fight, Jugo, Ren and Genma watched the sky and storm rage, while their blood boiled, forcing them to come to the aid of the Contractor of Fire. It took all their will power to subdue not only themselves, but also all their clan members because they knew that any interference in the fierce battle that was going on between 2 Contractors would be fatal for any lesser mage.

Finally, when they had fought for nearly an hour, Ayano stumbled. In her mind, she saw her worst nightmares come to life. A vision where she saw her clan die right in front of her, her father looking at her with disappointment, her being dragged away from her mother's clothes as they were burnt, her insecurities and fears, watching Ren die and crumble into sand just like the cloned girl Ayumi. But the most terrifying one came up at last; A vision of Kazuma, hands intertwined with those of Lapis, the resurrected form of Tsui Ling, grinning cruely at her, mocking her. Her outstretched hands could nothing to separate the pair as they moved closer to each other. Just as their lips brushed against each other, Lapis drew out a dagger and stabbed Kazuma straight in his heart, ending his life. Lapis stood tall with Kazuma's blood on her hands as he sunk down on his knees, never to rise again. Ayano watched with growing horror, as the pool of blood around Kazuma grew larger and Lapis finally turned to her with that creepy expressionless face, raising her dagger above her head, blood dripping down its blade. "NO!"

Kazuma watched as Ayano's expression twisted into fear and horror and finally the scream from her made him push forward, to draw her out of the demons in her mind. She screamed out, "Why?! Why can't I be strong enough to protect everyone? WHY?!" Enraiha lit up in crimson, azure and blue in response to her emotions and Kazuma could barely deflect the blades of fire that she sent at him. Even if he did manage to avoid getting roasted alive, his exposed skin was littered with bleeding cuts and bruises, courtesy of Ayano's out-of-control strength and fire magic. As blood dripped down his face, he hazarded a look at Ayano. She didn't seem to be much better either. If anything, she seemed to be more exhausted than he was. Even through the exhaustion she didn't stop, blindly sending bolts of Divine Flames around her.

Kazuma watched her drain herself completely. The flaming wings withered away into fire spirits that his winds ripped apart, but she still stayed air-borne in a sheath of flames. She lowered her blade and watched him eerily, assessing him. Kazuma remembered what the 2 Spirit Kings had told him. As he reached forward tentatively, Ayano's flames died around her and she plummeted down headlong, her body intended for a fatal collision. Kazuma sped up and finally lifted her up mid-air, watching as her breathing evened out and her skin stopped seeming like a heating furnace. He raised his head upward, calling on the warm air spirits from to brush away the dying storm, the sky giving way to clear azure blue. Kazuma felt his energy fade away as he floated down to the wet muddy ground and crashed on his back, with Ayano on top of him. The air spirits healed his bleeding wounds and the warm winds had dried them as they floated down, but now his clothes were muddy and wet once again.

Kazuma's phone rang and he heaved a sigh before taking it out of his pocket and saying, "Yes Jugo, everything's OK now. She's exhausted herself, out cold. I'll be getting her back to the main house as soon as I am done resting." However, what Jugo said on the other side stilled him. "No Kazuma, she is in deep turmoil now and coming back to the house where she lost her mother isn't going to help her. Take her with you. Take her away from all of this. Her emotions have unbalanced her and she needs someone who can be there for her."

Kazuma gently stepped down inside his bedroom in the posh suite that he was renting. Being Ayano's guard paid handsomely and he wouldn't be having any monetary issues at least for the next few years. Both he and Ayano were dirty and slightly wet. But she seemed to be in a deep slumber, her body finally succumbing to the lack of energy. He placed his hand just above her heart, trying to feel her heart beat, and sense the flow of energy. Everything seemed to be normal. Putting her down on the bed, he pulled out 2 sets of clothes, and 2 towels. Setting Ayano's set near her, he went to have a nice hot shower after getting drenched in the rain. After dressing, he went to his kitchen and set about to make good hot coffee. He knew they were going to need this for the ensuing conversation.

Ayano sighed as the soft bed underneath her sunk under weight. God, she was tired. The bed was really comfortable and she didn't want get up at all. She felt slightly wet, but ignored the feeling as she pummelled the pillow into her chest, wrapping her arms around it and hugging it tightly. Wow, wait a second… bed? Pillow? Where was she? She really had to stop waking up in different places without realising it. Groaning, she sat up, ignoring her head's pounding as she shifted about, trying to get her bearings. She smelt the enticing aroma of coffee and simply followed its rich goodness. Her feet lead her to a balcony and she finally realised where she was, when she saw Kazuma sipping a hot mug of coffee, leaning against balustrade of the balcony. His wind blown hair was as messy as always and from the side, she could see his sharp jagged jaws. He must have sensed her presence, because he turned towards her with a rare, tired smile and said, "Welcome back to the world of the living. I was wondering how long you were going to sleep it off. Clean up, I left clothes in my room. I have coffee ready too." Nodding mutely, she walked back to the room, showered and dressed herself. Dressed in Kazuma's oversized T-shirt and pants, she made her way gingerly to the kitchen, to find him filling a mug with hot coffee. Muttering a thanks, she took the mug and sipped the hot beverage, while trying to ignore Kazuma's intense scrutiny.

Soon enough, she asked, "Why are you staring at me like that?" Kazuma raised an eyebrow and replied, "Nothing in particular. Just wondering how was your experience of losing control." Ayano replied, "It was horrible, if you really want to know." Kazuma nodded and looked outside the window nearby. A silence ensued and Ayano asked, "What happened after I…" Kazuma replied without turning, "Well, just like what happened with me. You went berserk, but I didn't give any inspiring speech like you did. You wore yourself out, I just caught you when you fell." Ayano nodded and asked, "So I didn't, you know, hurt anybody.." "Nope, the whole thing happened above the graveyard and I didn't see anyone around that time."

Watching her carefully, he continued, "I know what you are going through, and you don't need to blame yourself. You just recently became the Contractor. You are allowed to make mistakes." "Not when these mistakes can take lives, Kazuma." "You have a lot to learn and your time as a Contractor has just begun. It took me nearly 3 years to reach my state. You need to give yourself time." 'Time is something none of us have. I can't afford to let my lack of control become a weak point for us." "That's why, I am here. Until you learn to control yourself, I'll be helping you out." "How long, Kazuma? And anyway, who helped you when you were in this situation?" Kazuma stared hard at her and said coldly, "Don't compare our situations. I had practically no reason to live on after her death, except of course, revenge for her. My revenge was my driving factor, my sole reason to exist after that incident in my life. If you need someone's death to control your abilities, then you don't deserve them." Ayano's temper rose and she replied, "I wasn't asking for anyone's death. And I don't think watching someone I care about die in front of me is going to help me either." Putting the mug of coffee down, she said coldly, "Thanks for the coffee. I'll be leaving now."

Just then, Kazuma phone rang. Picking it up, he saw that it was Jugo once again. When he answered, Ren's voice immediately shouted, 'Kazuma! Where are you and Ayano? We need you here RIGHT NOW! Bernhardt and his allies have attacked us! We can barely hold the enemy fire mages, but the Youma are just blowing us away right and left. Get here quickly!" Kazuma whirled around towards Ayano with a deadly expression. Ayano frowned and asked, "What's wrong? You look like you are going to kill someone." Kazuma grimly replied, "I think we both are going to kill a lot of people today. The Kannagi main house has been attacked. It's that bastard Bernhardt. Move, we need to get there quickly." Ayano's heart lurched as she thought about her family back in the main house. Nodding wordlessly, she put her arms around Kazuma and soon, they were on their way for the final confrontation.

 **A/N: And so... the final battle begins... What is going to happen now?!**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N:Hello everybody, I am back with your next chapter. The last few chapters haven't had many reviews so I am hoping this chapter at least will have a good number. But all things aside, I hope all the readers enjoy this chapter and please do rate and review after reading it!**

 **Chapter 14**

It was complete mayhem in the main Kannagi house. The area around the house was saturated with spiritual energy as the Kannagi fire mages went up against the black flames of the enemy. Fire spirits danced in the air, and th air was filled with the screams of the dying and the wounded. Wave after wave of Youma poured out of a gateway opened just above the gates of the house, and they replaced the fallen Youma with frightening speed. Kazuma knew a losing battle when he saw one. He knew the Kannagi were strong, but against the sheer numbers of the enemy mages and the powerful Youma, they stood no chance.

Ayano gritted her teeth in anger as she watched the destruction wrought by Black Flames Clan and Bernhardt. But where was the master of the plan? As she scanned the ground below for Bernhardt, she saw the angelic apparition of Lapis cutting right through the ground with her blade. Turning to Kazuma, she shouted over the din of the battle, "HEY! Drop me here, I'll take on Lapis, you look for Bernhardt!" As much as she wanted to take out Bernhardt herself, she knew Kazuma would hesitate to kill Lapis and that weakness could lead to his death. Kazuma nodded and dipped down near the ground. Before letting her go, he leant near her ear and said, "Careful. Don't do anything reckless, do you understand?" Ayano stilled and tried to ignore the silly warmth that flooded her when she heard the concern in his voice. Nodding her head, she let go of his waist and dropped to the ground, rolling to avoid the impact.

Ren shot blast after blast of Golden Flames, purifying the Youma surrounding him. He was weakening by the second and he was sure he'd fall if he didn't get any help. Suddenly, a huge gale sprung up, shredding the essence of the Youma to thin wiry strands that died out in the air. Soon enough, the mortal master of the winds himself landed beside his exhausted brother, supporting him as he nearly lost his balance. Ren looked up at his brother and smiled wearily and said, "You took your time getting here. How is she?" Kazuma gave a lop-sided grin and said, "She's good. She got to blow off steam and I think she is going to debut as the Contractor today. We can't let her take all the spoils, yeah? Shall we go purify some Youma?" Ren grinned; his brother was becoming too much of an influence and he now found himself enjoying the idea of fighting too. Nothing more was said as the brothers ripped through the ranks of Youma.

Ayano fought through the cloud of Youma that separated her from Lapis. Being the Contractor sure had its perks, she thought, as Enraiha set fire to every Youma that it cut through. To one side, she could see Genma fighting off multiple Youma as the azure blue God's Flames writhed around him, casting a blue glow on his surroundings. The entire place seemed to be heated, judging by the excessive amount of fire spirits in the air. On the other side, she saw her father and the heads of the branch families containing the wave of the Youma within the main compound and not letting them pass outside. However, she failed to see the Youma attacking her from her right. By the time, she registered that she was going to be fatally injured, the ground shook. Slowly, everyone on the battleground noticed as the ground continued to vibrate and soon, wall after wall of rock shot through, cutting through many of the human opponents.

Kazuma landed beside his father, watching the towering the rock columns and the quick-sand floor underneath the clan of the Black Flames. For once, he couldn't say anything. Genma seemed to be at a loss as well. He began, "Wha.." Just then, a loud female voice rang out. "Tsuwabuki Clan! Aid the Kannagi! Wipe the enemy from the grounds!" A uproar followed the familiar voice's order and soon the ground shifted, signalling the arrival of the famed earth mages of the Tsuwabuki clan, led by their new head, Mayumi. Kazuma watched with widened eyes, as Ren ran over, carefully watching the shifting ground. He stopped before Mayumi, bowing in respect for she was his elder, and spoke with her as the earth mages poured into the field from behind her.

Mayumi turned to see someone behind Kazuma, who turned out to be Jugo. Wasting no time, she came closer, nodding her head in respect towards Kazuma and bowed to Genma and Jugo. She said, "I apologise for the delay. I had to... convince certain clan members to support your cause. I hope we aren't too late." Jugo smiled grimly, 'Oh no, you are just in time." Ayano stuttered, "Mayumi...!" Jugo smiled and said, "It seems Ren paid a lot of attention to the diplomatic affairs of our clans. When we were attacked, he immediately called up Mayumi. Surprisingly, she agreed to help even after our rather…unfavourable circumstances recently." Maymui interjected bluntly, "I came because my clan and I owe your heir, Ren and your banished wind mage our safety and peace. I also came here because I know Ayumi would have wanted me. Ren was able to make her happy during her last days, something that I failed to do. Even if I pay back my debt to your clan, I can never pay back the debt I owe to Ren."

Jugo nodded and said, "I thank you again for your assistance. I am sure that my clan will forever be grateful to you for your help in these troubled times." Mayumi then turned to Ren and smiled, "So Ren, shall we? How can I and my clan help you?" Ren looked at her, his father and grinning brother with shock and stammered, "Uh.. me? I think Uncle Jugo would guide better, or maybe perhaps Father.." Jugo said, "I give you permission to lead the Tsuwabuki Clan beside their head. Show them the issues and help them sort it out. That's an order." Ren bowed low, accepting his uncle's words, and ran, not before shouting, "I won't fail you!", with a trailing Mayumi. Jugo turned to Genma and said, "He is growing up faster than I thought. He'd make a great peacemaker. We should probably send him with Ayano to nearby clans for alliances. He'd definitely keep her temper in check, to say the least."

Ayano felt a little more at ease when she saw the increased number of mages fighting off the Youma. But she knew that, if the gate itself was open, the fight would go on and on until her side's numbers were decimated. Almost as though reading her thoughts, a slight voice sounded itself over the din monotonously, "I'd stay away from Master Bernhardt if I were you." Ayano whirled around to face Lapis. Scowling she pointed Enraiha at her and challenged, 'Why don't you shut your mouth and let your blade do the talking?" Lapis simply inclined her head in acceptance and launched forward with her blade. As their blades met, a shockwave spread outwards, blowing away the rising dust. The clang of sword clashing sword resounded through the battlefield as nearby duellers paused their brawls to watch the 2 swordswomen battle it out with all their might.

Kazuma had no problem in finding the mastermind behind the whole plan, who also coincidentally was his main target that day. Bernhardt Rhodes had outdone himself this time, he thought sardonically, as he ripped apart any and every opponent in his path, be it mortal or Youma. Soon enough, he was stained in the blood of his enemy and his clothes were ripped and none seemed to take the courage to stand against him. From the black winds whipping around him, it was clear he was beyond any point of reasoning now. Time seemed to still as the 2 rivals faced each other. Bernhardt said, "Kazuma Kannagi, what a pleasure to meet you once again." Kazuma replied, "Can't say the same in my case. You want to make small talk in the middle of a battlefield?" Bernhardt simply chuckled like he was having the time of his life and said, "Oh, by all means, continue with your slaughter. You, like everybody else, have played your part in this wonderful plan of mine once again." Kazuma stilled. Bernhardt saw his hesitation and said, "You really needn't worry about it. You wouldn't be alive to watch the results of my glorious success. For now, however, let me introduce you to one of the special Youma that I have recently summoned, especially for you. Let's see how you fare against this one. Until then, Contractor…" Saying so, Bernhardt swiped his hand in front of him and the space rend and a moment later he was nowhere to be seen. Kazuma growled, "The cowardly bastard…" But he didn't have time to worry about him as the said Youma bellowed and charged towards him on a dark cloud. Drawing on his Contractor abilities, Kazuma met the Youma in a head-on collision that left a huge crater on the ground, blowing away whatever was near them. The pair battled back and forth, causing blasts of spiritual energy in the air, charging it with power. Finally, Kazuma would not be denied as he ripped the Youma apart with a lightning strike. Just as he was about move on, he heard _him_ speak.

"I would like all the Kannagi to look up for a second please…" In the sky, Bernhardt, a man in a blue cloak, and his servant Lapis stood. But what drove the on-lookers into shock was the flaming red haired girl stuck in a vice-grip behind the blade of Lapis. Ayano strained against the bonds of magic that prevented her from using her magic. Bernhardt leaned close to her ear and said in a voice that creeped across her skin, making her shudder involuntarily, "Oh, I wouldn't try that my dear. You see, Lapis' blade is reinforced with the life energy of all the humans and Youma that died in this battle. The blade is designed to resist magic of all sorts. You could say it is similar to the shield I cast over Pandemonium a year or so back. But this is my new and improved version. It not only resists magic, but it also siphons off your magic to me and Lapis the harder you try to access. If you don't want to lose your abilities completely, I suggest you cease your struggles, princess." Ayano felt sick in her stomach. She had fallen lowly for a cheap trick that Lapis had pulled and now was paying the price. Bernhardt then continued speaking to her clan below, 'So, you see, this war was not all about taking revenge, you know. I actually wanted a few people to die for my next summoning, so I decided large-scale warfare is the best option. I enjoyed the general bloodshed and screams on the battlefield and I am sure you hot-blooded Kannagis loved it too."

Kazuma watched, stupefied as Ayano curled into herself when Bernhardt spoke close to her. Dammit! How did he lose sight of her? He gritted his teeth as he watched her squirm as Bernhardt pulled her close to him forcefully. The moron continued with a grin, "Well now, Contractor of the Wind, I'd say this war ended up being helpful to you in a way. You see, my ultimate aim is to summon Lord Belial in his entirety into this city, but along the way I found out that in the same process I can restore souls that have been consumed by Youma, provided a small part of the unfortunate soul is still left behind. Do you see what I mean?"

Kazuma wondered how worse the situation could get. Last time when Belial was summoned for a few seconds, even the combined strength of him, Ayano and Ren while using Divine Flames and a Contractor state was enough to drain them out completely. If he was awoken fully, they were doomed. Now that monster had found a way to summon shredded souls back into the living world. He practically wielded control over the gates of death that way, which definitely wasn't good for anybody. But he did understand what Bernhardt meant; a vile practice of blood magic that allowed the magic user to exchange energies between souls, shredding one while reconstructing the other. While it was inhumane in its self, it was also incredibly damaging to the magic user who performed it as well. A sneaking suspicion filled him as he asked, "But you and I know very well that you will be permanently damaged and I am not talking about your pretty damaged face." Bernhardt continued to grin like a maniac and removed his mask, exposing the damaged, disfigured face underneath. It was revolting to watch the skin dangle off his face as spoke, "Of course, which is why I have Miss Contractor here to help me with it." Kazuma's blood froze. Noting his look, Bernhardt continued nonchalantly, "You see, our little Contractor here is so full of energy, she can fuel another 100 summonings if I wanted. But she is also extremely hard to control, as I found out, when I sent the head of the Black Flames clan to capture her. That kidnapping led to the awakening of the contract, yes? So I decided to have a one time use for her, yet finish my research work. My other research subject is someone you are quite familiar with. Remember your long lost love, Kazuma Kannagi?"

Kazuma shouted, "You have no right to take her name, you bastard! She is dead! You were the one who sacrificed her body and soul to the accursed demon!" Bernhardt wrapped an arm around Ayano's waist and pulled her into his side and wiggled a finger and said, "Ah, ah, but a sliver of essence still lives in my faithful servant Lapis. You see, I am going to use Ayano to fuel the reconstruction of your late love's soul, and I will use the remaining part of her energy to shield me while I carry out the process. I believe, you understand what will happen to Ayano, don't you Kazuma?"

Ren listened with growing horror as Bernhardt described his plan so calmly as though going for a stroll in the park. While bile threatened to rise up into his throat, he pushed his nerves down and looked at Kazuma. He knew that Lapis was Kazuma's biggest weakness and to this date, he still blamed himself for his girlfriend's death. Now that he was offered an option to revive her, but at the cost of Ayano's life, he would be swayed even further. Moving closer to Kazuma, Lapis spoke, "Don't you want me back, Kazuma? If the process happens, we could be together for the rest of our lives."

Kazuma staggered back, appalled at the audacity of the plan. It went against all laws of nature, heck even his own diminished conscience. Bernhardt continued, "So, what do you say, Kazuma? Help me restrain your fellow Contractor and we can get the love of your life back." The Kannagi rose up in outrage, shooting bolts of flames at Bernhardt, but they were all deflected with his clever shielding. The Tsuwabuki watched in grim silence, unsure of the sudden development. However, all eyes were focused on the one Contractor whose actions would turn the tables, but he himself stood there with hunched shoulders and a drooping head with his bangs overshadowing his eyes.

Kazuma watched the ensuing barrage of attacks on Bernhardt in silence. He had tuned out the world around him and now stood in absolute silence, within himself. During Pandemonium, he had tried his best to save Lapis. Even his wind blades wouldn't harm her, however hard he tried he just couldn't hurt the girl carrying the face of his dead love. When offered the choice of resurrecting, restoring her wholly, he found his choice surprisingly easy once more. He smiled to himself in satisfaction and took a deep breath, summoning his Contractor abilities once more. Looking up, he let the awareness of the outside world seep back in and shouted, "Well, Bernhardt, I know what to do." He could hear Ren scream at him to stop and save Ayano, the rage of the Kannagi directed at him, but he hardly cared. They didn't matter, none of them did. Only she did, and he knew he'd even go to hell and back for her.

 **A/N: Who has Kazuma chosen to save? Which way will the battle turn?**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Hello everybody! I am so sorry I couldn't give the update on time, because I had my exams going on. But the answer to the previous chapter's question and a lot more developments are here in this chapter. The battle rages on and we can see our protagonists battle it out with their lives!**

 **As always, I thank all the people who have left reviews for the previous chapters and I hope all of my readers enjoy this chapter too! Don't forget to review and rate!**

 **Chapter 15**

Kazuma let the air spirits carry him to Bernhardt's level, eyes glowing azure blue. The black winds around him were gone, and he seemed to be in control of his powers entirely. His voice lowering down an octave he said, "Now why don't you let me do the honours?" Bernhardt's grin lost a little light. He seemed to be confused. Kazuma knew the confusion had bought him the time he needed. Wasting no time, he raised his hand and whipped multiple blades of air towards the shields around Bernhardt that had weakened in his momentary lapse. The sound of glass shattering filled the air as his blades successfully cut through and managed to separate Ayano and Bernhardt while injuring Lapis at the same time. Down on the ground, the Kannagi and Tsuwabuki cheered and resumed their battle against the members of the clan of Black Flames with renewed vigour.

Ayano was pushed away at an uncontrollable speed away from Bernhardt because of Kazuma's wind blades. But even as she hurtled away from him, a light breeze caught her fall and pushed her down gently into waiting arms that tightened around her as soon as she fell into them. Looking up, she saw the azure blue of the Contractor of winds, watching the air blades cut through the Youma that still poured out of the gateway. From the height that they floated, it was easy to see that the gateway was smack in the middle of an enormous summoning circle, very similar to the one cast using Pandemonium.

Ignoring that particular issue for now, Kazuma looked down at the flame haired girl in his arms and said, "I remember a certain somebody telling me that no one needed to take care of her, she was adult enough to do everything. But here we go again, you still got caught by Bernhardt, you still need me to save your sorry ass." Ayano looked everywhere else but him and muttered, "Alright, I get it. I'll let you tag along." Kazuma laughed outright and said, "Really princess, your sense of humour has improved so much. Must be my amazing effect." Ayano crossed her arms and said, "Just you wait and watch Kazuma, I'll show you. I'll show everybody what I am capable of." Kazuma felt the statement was a little ominous, especially in the middle of battlefield. He shook his head, he was becoming too cautious about everything. He continued, "Look, just accept the fact that while you are quite the prodigy, you also need time to work on your powers. Now less small talk, more purifying Youma. This time, you are sticking to my side, or going with the old man and Ren. Am I clear?" Ayano mumbled something and Kazuma pressed on, "I said am I clear?" Ayano huffed and said, "Alright, fine. Now put me down." Kazuma dipped down to the ground and let her down. Just as she was about to sprint away into the battle, Kazuma pulled her back by her forearm and said, "Don't forget, our conversation is still left. I am repeating this time and again, don't be reckless. Don't do something stupid." Ayano just rolled her eyes, and ran away but not before shouting with a grin, "Don't worry, I'll be fine!" Kazuma had barely turned his head away from Ayano, when he felt the presence of a malevolent spiritual energy.

He turned around to face a hooded figure covered by a blue cloak, very similar to the one Ayano described as her kidnapper. Kazuma grinned cruelly, Finally, the bastard would die today. Summoning a tornado, he asked, "And who are you?" The figure replied in a man's voice, "I am the head of the Black Flames clan. I have no name for my soul and will is subject to Master Bernhardt's commands." Kazuma retorted, "Good, not like I care. Now you were the one who kidnapped the Kannagi heir, right? Now you let's see what you can actually do." The man said nothing, but raised a hand, hefting a ball of black flames in one hand. Kazuma retaliated by summoning more tornadoes. A second passed and soon the opponents were at each other's throat, trying to kill each other. Kazuma knew he was acting more irrational than usual, but he really couldn't stop himself from thirsting for his enemy's blood. Because of him, Ayano had suffered and he wanted nothing more than to make him experience the same pain, before killing him. As the battle progressed, it was clear the head of the clan was no match for the Contractor's strength. Just as he stumbled down, Kazuma made a swiping gesture, sending a death blow. But before it reached the head of his opponent, a wall of Golden flames stopped it in its course. Kazuma frowned and stared hard at his brother, who had his hand covered with his golden flames. Kazuma started, "What are you doing, Ren?" Ren looked at him calmly and said, "Kazuma, in your anger, I think you forgot something important. This man is not in control of himself. He is just a puppet for Bernhardt. You can't blame him for his actions. He isn't even in his senses. Can't you feel it, Kazuma? His soul, is barely hanging on almost completely devoured by the Youma within. He needs our help. On his own, he is really weak."

Kazuma clenched his jaw and flicked his wrist, imprisoning the man in a circle of tornadoes, before turning to his sibling, eyes glowing azure blue and pupils tinged with red in his anger, "Don't stand in my way, Ren. Not now." Ren stubbornly stood and said, "if I have to fight you to keep you sane, brother, I will. Just like Ayano, I won't let you fall so low. I – no _we all_ respect you too much to let you do that to yourself." As Ren spoke, his determination seared the ground around him in the form of Golden Flames, wiping out any Youma that strayed too near. Kazuma watched his brother in silent admiration. While he was above losing control like the time at Pandemonium, he was really happy to see brother growing up and taking a stand. Cracking a grin, he shoved a hand inside a pocket and said, "All right, calm down, kid. I get it." Ren's flames toned down in response and he gave his elder brother a weary grin before fainting and plummeting to the ground. Kazuma caught him before he crashed on his face and chuckled as he thought, _looks like he is done for the day… now where to put him?_ Almost as though his question was answered, a jet of azure blue flames materialised right beside the windy prison of the head of the Black Flames clan and immediately a fist sheathed in blue flames, punched right through the tornado at the man imprisoned inside, knocking him out. The flames died down to reveal Genma breathing heavily, blood run down his finger tips on his right hand from a gash on the forearm. Kazuma picked up Ren in his arms and walked over to him and said, "Good thing you're here old man, for once. Get your kid back to safety. He's done for the day." Genma wordlessly accepted his unconscious son from his first born's arms and promptly walked away without another look. Just as he was about to move out of earshot, he murmured, "…You… were good enough too…." Kazuma watched his father walk away, and even though he would never admit to anyone, he knew he felt a little happy – just a little – to hear his father's reluctant approval.

Ayano watched the battle die down, the enemy clan being subdued. She should have been filled with a sense of accomplishment, but all that she felt was an unsettling dread sinking into her stomach. Just then, her suspicions were confirmed as she watched Bernhardt and Lapis rise upto the gateway that had stopped pouring Youma out and was now glowing an eerie red. Bernhardt raised his arms above his head and chanted obscure verses in a language she did not recognize and soon Ayano cursed as she saw the fatal mistake they all made. The summoning circle, spanning the entire city was now complete and glowing with a powerful light and the darkness inside the gateway spilled out and began to spread all over the city. Immediately, an immense spiritual pressure knocked her down to her knees and forced her to bow her head in submission. Gritting her teeth, she forced her head to turn towards her clan and allies and saw the lesser members unconscious while Ren was unconscious on top of Genma who was struggling under the pressure. Her father fared no better. And Kazuma… where was he? He was nowhere in sight and that worried her to no end. But even through all of these thoughts, she could still feel a bone-chilling terror spread through her as she recognized the cause for their state – Lord Belial had been successfully summoned.

 **A/N: The final blow has struck! How will our trio and their allies counter this new threat and live to see the next day?**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N:Hello everybody! The battle is going to end very soon, with a HUGE shock awaiting all of you! So are all of you excited to read further?**

 **As always, thanks a lot to all the readers for leaving reviews for the previous chapter. Also, this particular thing is long overdue. A couple of people have chosen this story as their favourite as well. Catty4648, Rito Dey, beme2363, faythadel, flaming wings, imfalling, seshhxkagii99, thanks a lot for choosing the story and I hope all of you enjoyed it as much as I did while I wrote it. So... on with the next chapter! Don't forget to review and rate!**

 **Chapter 16**

A howling storm picked up as the first claws made their appearance out of the dark pulsating gateway. Ayano cried out in pain as the immense dark energy pushed her to the ground, nearly crushing her. Panic overtook her as she tried to twist her body to see her family and allies, most importantly Kazuma. Barely able to keep her eyes open, she gritted her teeth against the pain coursing through her body and tried to crawl towards Ren, who had their back arched against the ground, crying out because of the pain. Genma had his teeth gritted as he lay still like a hard wooden board, keeping his mind clear of the pain. Bernhardt had moved away from the gateway, observing the devastation around him with a sickening satisfaction. Ayano frowned, she couldn't Lapis anywhere either. She couldn't see her father, but she hoped he was protected by the branch family heads. What worried her the most was the fact that Kazuma was nowhere. Had he been taken down?

Kazuma stood suspended in front of the look-alike of his dead love, winds blowing around him. Lapis seemed to be watching him with curiosity as she floated in front of him. When everyone had been distracted by Belial's arrival, the sneaky little girl had created a spatial rend and had pulled him through into a different place, away from the battleground. Kazuma knew that even with Ayano around, Belial's arrival meant certain death for all regardless the presence of Contractors, so he wished to at least fight one last time, shoulder to shoulder with her and Ren. But Lapis had dragged him away and was now blocking him from returning home. Home. Kazuma scoffed inwardly, chastising himself for letting his emotions take over in the middle of the battle. Pushing his wayward thought away, he drew his arm upwards, preparing to send the first set of wind blades at Lapis. Just as he launched them, Lapis spoke softly, "Stop." Kazuma stilled, the blades of wind swivelling around his arm, and asked, "What?" Lapis put her blade down and said, "I did not pull you away to fight with you. The more… human part of me does not let me lift a weapon against you." Kazuma blanched and whispered, "T..Tsui Ling?" To his surprise, Lapis smiled softly and replied, "Oh no, I am not her. Although, her remnants do reside within my body. But the past few months has allowed her humane qualities to fill the emptiness within me. Simply put, I believe I have seen the signs of a developing of soul within me." Kazuma asked, "That doesn't mean anything to me. Get out of my way or I will cut you down." Lapis said, "You are free to go, Contractor. But know this, your love did want you to die. But that wasn't the complete truth. Yes, she did want you to die, but she wanted you to die, happy and content, without pain. I think that sounds more like her, don't you think?"

Kazuma felt a huge weight lift from his heart. What was that? Guilt, or the urge to take revenge? But he definitely felt lighter, so much more lighter. Lapis said, "Now that particular conversation is over, I believe we must return to the battlefield. Let's meet again, Kazuma Yagami, on the battlefield as enemies." Just as she raised her hand, Kazuma asked, "Why now?" Lapis looked towards him with confusion, "What do you mean, Contractor?" Kazuma repeated, "Why tell me this now?" Lapis smiled again and said, "My humanity is built on the remnants of Tsui Ling. I simply did what I felt was right." That was the last thing Kazuma heard before they stepped back into the din of battle.

Ayano watched the mayhem around her with a sense of desperation. The incredible amount of dark energy pouring from Lord Belial's presence in the living world had thrown all laws into disarray and now very few people seemed to have the strength to at least be conscious. Neither Kazuma nor Lapis was seen anywhere, which just confirmed her suspicions that Kazuma had, in fact, gone after Lapis, leaving the battleground behind. As she watched, dozens of people, both foe and friend perished under the suffocating energy enveloping them all. Vaguely, she heard Bernhardt proclaiming the success of his plot, revelling in the death and destruction around. Just how powerful was that guy, to withstand the pressure from the Lord of the denizens of Hell himself? As far as she could see, even Mayumi had been knocked out, leaving only her, Genma and her father barely on their feet. She was tried, both physically and mentally. She had exhausted the use of her Contractor abilities long ago, and the flames surrounding her were just keeping the dark energy from ripping her apart. Nearby, she could see the weakening flare of the Azure God's Flame keeping Genma and an unconscious Ren safe. Near the pair, Jugo was on his knees, his vivid Purple Flames flickering as they clashed against the surrounding blasts of energy. Ayano felt despair overcome her attheir inability to effectively counter her opponent. Hell, she was sure she would not walk out of this alive.

Kazuma felt the resistance in his path as he tried to move towards the three towering flames in the center of the battlefield, almost completely subdued by Belial's darkening essence. No matter how many blades of wind he used, the air in front of him seemed to obstruct his movements, so much that he felt it becoming more viscous and poisonous by the second. Deep down, he felt the oncoming of a tragedy and he couldn't help but gulp at the thought of Ayano, Ren, Jugo and his father trapped on the ground. That just spurred his resolve to reach them even quicker, and he continued to cut through painstakingly, as his body ached in protest at being so roughly handled by physical hurdles and fluctuating spiritual energy.

Ayano withdrew into herself, hoping to gather enough power and launch one final blast so that she could save her father, Genma and Ren at the very least. As she shut out the howling world around her, she felt her awareness graze the edges of her fiery spirit. Right in front her, her spirit morphed into a flaming bird – A phoenix, flaring with multiple coloured flames. It spoke, "We meet again, dear one. You are actually much stronger than you realize, but in this situation, even I will admit, you are pushing yourself beyond your limits. Your one final blast will achieve so much more than what you think, but you must also accept the price that it entails. Can you give that sacrifice, my daughter?" Ayano answered, "If it means to save the world and all that I care and love, no price is too great." The phoenix flashed with broiling flames and Ayano saw a glimpse of someone whom she had missed for long. Smiling softly, she said, "Thank you, Spirit King. I guess we'll be seeing each other soon. Or should I say… Mother?" The Phoenix shrieked in reply and disappeared from her vision in a ball of fire, which filled her entire being. As she spread her hands outwards, she opened her eyes to see her father and Genma looking at her with horror written on their faces. Turning towards the gateway, she looked at the darkening skies one last time, desperately begging for the sight of the one person whom she had looked upto, and eventually had fallen in love with. Oh yes, she finally admitted in her final moments, she loved him, she did love Kazuma Yagami, banished son of the Kannagi, Mortal Master of the Winds. She couldn't' hear what he was shouting towards her and with the fire filling her being, she could feel her throat burn. Knowing any physical movement was futile, she hoped her final thoughts would reach him, at least a little. _I love you, pervert, and I hope I made you proud of being my partner._

Kazuma watched in growing horror as Ayano began to glow white like a supernova. Judging from the expression of Genma and Jugo, he understood immediately about what Ayano was attempting. One final kamikaze strike, one desperate ploy to control the damage dealt and save the remaining lives. The shock brought on by the new knowledge only forced him to fly towards her faster, desperate to stop her from taking the final plunge. In utter despair, his throat clogged up, yet he still shouted in sheer desperation, "DON'T DO THIS, AYANO! DAMMIT, YOU PROMISED TO BE CAREFUL!" The winds around him tried to cut through the thickening essence of Belial shrouding them away from the remaining part of the world, but even the razor sharp winds were blunt surrounded by the dark essence of Hell. Yet, he still laboured against the resistance, pushing his way through. He shouted again, "COME BACK, AYANO! YOU COULD KILL EVERYBODY AROUND YOU IN THE WAY, DON'T DO THIS!" But the flame haired princess, _his princess_ , sheathed in a towering column of flames, was far too gone from the world, unable to hear anything. Just then, a whisper danced tantalisingly in his ear, shredding the last sliver of hope to nothing. _I love you, pervert, and I hope I made you proud of being my partner._ Then the world imploded in a frenzy of roaring flames and searing heat, until all that he knew was blinding light and shocks of pain as his body flew backwards and crashed against something hard.

Genma and Jugo watched the heir of the Kannagi in grim silence, sacrificing herself, successfully destroying the source of Belial's ascent in the living world. The enraged roars of the Demon Lord were drowned by the howls of the wind and fire spirits around them, as the flames poured forth from Ayano, destroying the gateway, while at the same time, shielding all the fallen Kannagi and their allies from much of the damage. Jugo felt his eyes burn as he watched his only daughter be swallowed by flames and instinctively turned his head away as the flames burnt the gateway and all the remaining Youma, purging the land itself of their poison. Oh no, her flames weren't Golden Flames. They were a combination of all the known Divine Flames, and the multiple colours lit up the skies as they dispersed the spell of darkness. Soon enough, it was clear that their bodies would no longer withstand the stress of summoning fire spirits in such great quantities and for such great time periods, and both the elder mages collapsed, their shields dissipating around them.

Kazuma coughed as the dust cleared to show a fiery haired, limp figure on the ground. The ground was scorched black around the body. Kazuma swooped downwards, forcing his body to move to his target. His hands began to shiver as he dropped next to the familiar figure of Ayano. As he neared her prone form, he whispered brokenly, 'Hey, Ayano? Hey, look up, idiot. You did it. You finally did it. You destroyed Belial's Gate." No response. Nothing moved, not even the wind. Everything in the cosmos seemed to hold its breath as Kazuma knelt down beside the girl shaking her shoulder, trying to wake her. Nothing happened. Kazuma's head whipped around to see Jugo and Genma struggling to sit up, while pulling Ren's unconscious form closer to them. The other unconscious people seemed to start regaining consciousness as well. He turned to Ayano with a tremulous smile, "Look, you managed to save Jugo, Genma, Ren as well. Everyone else seems to be OK too. Come on, get up. There is so much to clean up here. Ren is out cold, who is gonna help to do the job, huh? Get up already, Ayano, NOW GET UP!" One final shout and Kazuma watched his world crumble to pieces as his hand came in contact with the cooling skin of the fire mage. His shivering hands started shaking as he leant forward on his knees, brushing her bangs away from her forehead. If she were truly awake, she'd have pushed him away, calling him a pervert. He whispered again, "Hey, I swear I'll buy you all the cake in the world, not make perverted comments, hell, I'll do anything, Ayano come back…" Nothing. A torturous silence, broken by shuffling and groaning people as they tried to get back their bearing all around them. He felt her cheek, his blood chilling as the cold spread through her, confirming his worst fears. The impenetrable wall around his mind broke and tears coursed down his cheeks as he reached out to pull onto his lap, cradling her head. She didn't move. She lay still, her face painting an expression of peace. But Kazuma watched his world darken around him as the girl whose burning brightness he had begun to lean towards, lay still, the fire in her reduced to dying embers. Finally, the wind mage threw back his head and screamed out his rage and pain to the world in agony, drawing his beloved close to him, desperately trying to preserve the warmth from completely fading away.

Dimly, he was aware of Jugo trying to pull him away from her, shouting that she could still be saved. All he heard was his own voice, chastising him, berating him for failing the one he loved, once again. As he numbly picked up her limp body and passed it to Genma and the waiting medics, he stood still in the ensuing chaos all around him. Somewhere, he heard the commanding voice of Jugo, trying to pull him so that he could get himself treated as well, but he brushed him away, choosing to follow Ayano. As the treatments began in the temporary shelters put up, the darkening sky above burst into a downpour that drenched all those who were uncovered.

 **A/N: *Sniffles* So our favourite Enjutsushi is down... Will she get back up once again?**


	17. Author's Note : About Chapter 17

p style="text-align: center;"strongAuthor's Note/strong/p  
p style="text-align: center;" /p  
p style="text-align: center;"strongHello everybody! I am really sorry for posting a messed Chapter 17. I really have no idea when or how it happened, but after I saw a couple of people leaving reviews about the mess up and I took the chapter as soon as I could. I won't be able to upload the chapter right away, but sometime this week, I will upload both Chapter 17 and 18. /strong/p  
p style="text-align: center;"strongOnce again I am extremely sorry for the mess up and I want all of you readers to be a bit patient and wait for the update./strong/p  
p style="text-align: center;"strongThank you!/strong/p 


	18. Chapter 17

**A/N: Hello everybody! I have fixed both parts of Chapter 17, and I decided I'll put them together after all... There are some changes, changes I felt would suit the flow of the story better...**

 **I'd like to make a special mention here, as I post this chapter... One particular reader, who goes by the name eknight07 has been really nice to drop a review for every chapter... I have now seen nine reviews for nine chapters straight. So I'd like to specially thank this one reader of this story, who took out time to post reviews after every chapter. Of course, I'm really grateful to those who have posted reviews a tad bit more sporadically as well, because they still did leave out helpful encouraging comments for me as well as this story.**

 **As promised, I am reposting Chapter 17, but Chapter 18 might not be up so soon after all, because of a hell lot of project work and assignments that just piled up so suddenly since the week began... but I will make sure to upload Chapter 18 as soon as possible. Now on with the story, let's see what's happened to Ayano and Kazuma!**

 **Chapter 17**

 **Two months later…**

Kazuma watched over Tokyo from high above in the skies, the winds around him messing up his tousled hair even more than usual. Tiredly sweeping a hand through his locks, he gazed down through the clouds, his eyes heavy and circled dark, observing all that moved in his line of vision with unerring precision. He knew he was working himself too hard; but this… this was the only way he could remain sane. The only way to numb the pain that threatened to tear him apart from within. Since _that day_ , he couldn't bring himself to enter the damned Kannagi main house, no, not even for Ren. The place where she fell was engraved in his mind forever. Even now, as he ached from within, he saw it all over again…

 _Kazuma rushed through the small groups of people clustering around, getting medical aid from the teams arranged by the Kannagi and Tsuwabuki. But he didn't care about what was happening around him and neither Jugo nor Genma seem to care either as they helped to push the crowd away from him and the unconscious fire mage in his arms. As the Reiki Healers and allopathic medicine professionals took her away on a stretcher, Kazuma watched with a thudding heart, damn near falling on his knees to pray to the heavens, to the Spirits and their Kings, for one last wish. Genma had temporarily disappeared to check on Ren. Jugo stood with his hands crossed against his chest, leaning against a pole that kept the medical aid tent upright, watching the Kannagi and Tsuwabuki clans gather themselves after the horrifying battle. Lives had been lost, children had been orphaned, families shattered, and yet at that moment all that mattered to Kazuma and Jugo was the fate of the girl whom they both loved, unconditionally, beyond all levels of reason. Just then, Genma arrived, murmuring to Jugo that Ren was fine, just worn out after using so much magic. Kazuma hardly acknowledged his father, instead training his eyes onto the flaps of cloth that kept him away from Ayano._

 _Hours passed as the three men stood in wait expectantly. Suddenly, the flap was pushed outwards by a Reiki healer, who strode towards them with a sense of purpose. Bowing her head in respect to the two older men she started, "My lord, your daughter was on the brink of certain death. Her organs had nearly collapsed from the suicidal amount of energy that she wielded at the end, and her weak body simply encouraged the depletion of her already dying spiritual energy. That was the reason for her abnormal coldness when you brought her here. We have done our job and she is out of danger, however…." Kazuma moved forward, and demanded in a low tone, "However?" Jugo put his hand on Kazuma's shoulder, silently asking him to control himself. He then looked to the healer and motioned towards her to continue. The healer continued hesitatingly, "However, her body and spirit are still too weak to sustain. In order to regenerate her original levels of spiritual energy, her body has shut down in a coma. We do not know when she will wake. It could take days, months or even years before her body and spirit are strong enough and restored to their original state." Kazuma staggered back as though sucker-punched. She…she was in a coma. God, she was in a coma. What had she ever done to deserve something like this? He was so used to seeing her as an eternal fountain, no volcano of energy, and it broke him from within to imagine her lying pale and lifeless, hooked to a dozen machines, fighting to keep her alive and in stasis until her body recovered. Jugo let out a broken sob, and turned away quickly, shoulders quivering. Genma's eyes hardened as he closed them, shaking his head slightly. Kazuma croaked out, "Can…Can we see her?" The nurse nodded mutely and led the way within, where he was greeted by one his worst nightmares. His fiery haired beauty lay still, so still, he would have believed her to be dead if not for the constant beeping of the ECG, one of the many machines hooked to her body. Her skin was pale, almost reaching the faded white of the hospital gown covering her. Her forehead and the exposed parts of her arms and legs were bandaged and there was a little dried blood on her lips. Maybe she had been biting them too hard. Long eyelashes swept down to her high cheeks, which were pale, unlike the healthy flushed pink that they used to be, especially when he teased her to no end._

 _Jugo turned to him with teary, red-rimmed eyes, silently granting him permission to be alone with her. The grip on his shoulder tightened for a second before leaving him bereft, which made him wonder if the silent comfort was for him, or Jugo himself. Slowly he inched towards the bed, where she lay silently, watching carefully, unable to believe himself. Finally, his strength failed. He crashed down harshly on his knees, jolting him. He couldn't say anything. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. What could he ever say to her? How could he apologise to her for not protecting her, for not being there for her, when she needed him? How could he ever face and tell her he loved her, loved her more than he could ever admit, even to himself? What right did he have to claim her as his own, when he had been foolishly side-tracked in the battlefield, leaving her vulnerable? How could he.. how?!_

Kazuma jolted back to the present as he heard the distant call of a bird, cutting through the night-time silence. Since then, he had forsworn the Kannagi Mansion, but still met up with Ren, Jugo, even Misao from time to time. Hell, it was a good thing he stayed away or he would have cut those bastards into ribbons for daring to suggest replacing Ayano with Ren as the heir of the Kannagi family. Jugo could not refuse their demands, but Ren had surprisingly shot them down quickly, reminding them that their current heir was still alive, and they had no right to ignore that fact. His pride for his brother had only grown that day, for the way he stood up against men three times his age, fighting for what he believed, fighting for the sister he looked upto. Then again, he had made short work of one insolent brat who boasted that even he was a fit replacement. After he was sent to the hospital and declared to be in a serious condition, the others had wisely shut their mouths, especially when he wasn't there. He still believed she would wake up one day. God, what had that slip of a girl done to him?! He, who once killed without remorse as the Grim Reaper, now felt as though he bore the world's burden on his tired, weakened shoulders. Since when had he lost himself in her so much that watching her lie pale and unresponsive on the bed, tore him apart afresh every single time? And how would he ever look her in the eye if... no, _when_ she woke up? How would he face her, knowing he had failed her, as a protector, as a friend, and dare he say it, as the man who wanted, with all his being and soul, to keep her safe and sound forever? How ironic, he scoffed at himself, he was chosen as her protector, yet she now lay as still as death, in her desperate bid to protect not only him, but all those whom she loved and cared about.

Kazuma's turmoil was reflected in the rushing winds that blew away dust and dry leaves, their shapes gradually dwindling to nothing with distance. He knew that beating himself up wouldn't do any good; heck, his payback to Ayano started with him making sure, her part of the duties of keeping innocents safe from Youma and other demons was also taken care off. He and Ren had split the job between each other, but the arrangement was to allow Ren to learn to work with Kazuma as well. Kazuma knew Ren was worried sick and held himself responsible for not helping Ayano when she needed him. One night, when the guilt had become too heavy to bear alone, the siblings had sat down under the silvery glaze of the moon, and Ren had damn neared cried out loud, saying that he'd never forgive himself if something happened to Ayano. Kazuma's heart had clenched, for his brother as well as his fiery princess, but he knew he needed to be strong, strong enough to let his brother lean on his shoulder for support. That night, he had sworn to do anything, anything within his power to restore Ayano back to what she was, not just for him, but for his brother and Jugo.

As he stood suspended in mid-air, drowning in guilt within himself, a single whisper escaped his lips, only to be carried away by a passing gust of wind. The wind flowed on and on, and finally brushed the curtains of a white, sterile room, where a flame haired lay alone, the silence around her broken only by beeping of machines that were plugged into her body. Someone seemed to have forgotten the window, as her neatly combed hair, lying along her arms, blew backwards as the wind brushed past her skin, her face, her ears. And then the girl heard her name, in a voice she knew so well - _'Ayano...'_ But suddenly, the wind stopped blowing and a sense of expectation hung in the room as the girl lay still. Then, a twitch of fingers, a slight movement of eyes beneath pale lids, a small frown scrunching her eyebrows, and then she spoke, no, gasped softly in reply - _'Kazuma...'_

 **A/N: So... whew, that seemed a tad bit intense to me...How about you guys? Do you think Ayano's going to wake up soon, or is she going to put Kazuma, Ren and everyone else through hell for longer?**


	19. Chapter 18

**A/N: Hello, everybody! I am SO sorry that I couldn't update on time. My projects and assignments became a hell lot of work and right now exams are going on as well. But that definitely doesn't mean I am going to keep postponing the update further, so here you have it, Chapter 18. Also, a lot of people have dropped reviews for the previous chapter, so I would like to thank all of them for leaving behind comments. Oh yes, some of you kept requesting for updates, so I would like to apologise from the bottom of my heart to keep you all waiting for this update. My exams will be over by the end of this month, so until then my updates won't be regular... But no worries really, because the story is actually drawing to a closure in a few chapters now.**

 **So, less of my rambling now...I'll let you all get to the main story right away.. Enjoy reading this chapter and don't forget to rate and review.**

 **Chapter 18**

Ayano shifted awkwardly as her body numbed on the left. She could feel her fingers twitching involuntarily. She tried to speak, but only a husky cough erupted out of her parched mouth. She slowly opened her eyes, but immediately, they closed as the light outside glared right into her eyes. Groaning slightly, she sat up. Taking a deep breath, she looked around within herself, half afraid to see the damage she had wrought on herself. Then, suddenly, a flash of fire, then a spark, and then the familiar crackle of fire spirits filled her, as she watched her fire magic rejuvenate, albeit very slowly. She could faintly hear shuffling feet, more people running around, and all in all, she just ended up with a killer headache. Holding the side of her temple with fingers, trembling from unuse, she leaned back into a soft surface, wincing as pain shot through her midriff. As her ears cleared out and the ringing sound in her ears slowly faded away, she heard a very familiar voice say, "Ayano, how do you feel? Can you hear me?" She rasped out in reply, "Y..Yes, I can, Father. How.. Where is everybody? Is everyone OK? Wh.." Her question was broken by a bout of coughing, accompanied by blood spilling onto her pale lips. Jugo watched in growing alarm, as his daughter coughed up blood and immediately turned around to call for a healer. But Genma beat him to the task and barked out an order to a nearby servant to fetch a healer as soon as possible. As Ayano rocked back by the force of her coughs, Jugo rushed forward to support her back and shouted at Ren who was standing nearby with worried eyes, to go and fetch more help. Ren barely hesitated to nod in reply before sprinting away to find more healers.

Slowly, the coughs subsided as the healers arrived and began the medication. Ayano leaned back exhaustedly, too tired to even whimper at the pain lacing through her chest. She ached all over and her limbs were gradually losing their numbness after being still for so long. She tried to turn her head, seeking her father's comforting embrace. Even though she was a Contractor, her body had barely finished adjusting to her spirit's new powered-up state, and her using more energy than she had ever wielded before, had weakened the bond between her body and spirit, nearly killing her. She knew she had survived so long through sheer will power and grit determination, but the fact still remained that her body and spirit needed all the help they could get to return to her original state. Everything else could wait, especially that impending conversation with _that jerk_.

Ren watched Ayano relax back onto the bed as Jugo stood nearby, his body betraying his worry and anxiety. He wondered what his brother was doing now, if he would return back home. He had tried to reach Kazuma several times since Ayano woke up, but had failed. Genma had had enough with him, with him rushing back to the living room and then to Ayano's room repeatedly and had bluntly told him to forget about Kazuma and instead worry about Ayano. Ren couldn't help but feel slightly angry at his brother; did he have to practically run away when they, especially he and Ayano, needed him so much? Now he had cut off contacts with everyone and not even Detective Kirika could reach him now. Internally, he huffed and sighed, his brother was truly like the wind itself; no one could really catch and hold him anywhere if he didn't want to be there.

Jugo turned to Ren and beckoned him to follow him and Genma out of Ayano's room, Ren saw that Ayano was sleeping soundly. Quietly following the two elder fire mages, Ren couldn't help but think about what else had come up, just when everything was settling down. Soon enough, Jugo entered the usual meeting room and moved away to one side with Genma, letting Ren see the one person sitting with his head bowed in front of a cup of steaming hot tea. Jugo began, "Ren, I do hope you recognize this man." Ren squinted and looked closer, only to be shocked to his core. He began hurriedly, "Uncle, isn't.. isn't that the current head of the Black Flames Clan?!" Jugo smiled indulgently and replied, 'Now before you panic, I will tell you the entire problem. Calm yourself." Hearing Jugo's voice, the man sitting down stood up hurriedly, but did not raise his head. Jugo turned to the man and said, "Please be seated. We will begin the discussion shortly." The man nodded mutely and sat down along with Genma and Ren.

Jugo sat down as well and started, "Now, we know Ayano is not exactly at her best right now and we have a problem that needs to be addressed immediately. That is why I requested your presence, Ren." Ren sat up straighter and bowed his head slightly, while softly asking, "How may I be of assistance?" Jugo replied, "You do see this man, yes? They call him, Youko .As you both know, he too was possessed by a denizen of hell, a strong Youma, before the…catastrophic battle that we had. When Kazuma and, of course, Genma left him battered, he had become unconscious right in the middle of the battlefield. The ensuing cleansing wave of flames that Ayano released, managed to burn away the Youma possessing him within and return control back to the man himself. Now, he is repentant of his actions, even though he had no control over them and is seeking our help to save his clan's future generations."

At this, the man in question raised his head up, to reveal a pair of startling blue eyes. He said, in a rough, baritone voice, 'Forgive me for interceding, Lord Jugo. I would like to speak to the Master of Golden Flames myself. That is, if you will permit me to do so." Jugo nodded, silently asking him to continue. Youko took a deep breath and continued, "First of all, I would like to apologise for the destruction that my clan has wreaked upon the Kannagi and your allies and I hope our previous actions will not influence your decision negatively in helping us out. You see, the Black Flames Clan has its own brand of magic, and I do not mean the one that we derive from the Youma. Originally, the members of this clan used a very ancient technique, a technique that our founder taught the very first members. It involves the Enjutsushi melding his spirit with those of the fire spirits, enabling him to become physically and mentally faster while boosting up his fire-wielding abilities exponentially. When Bernhardt's ancestor cheated us and enslaved our souls, a select few of us feared the loss of this technique and sealed away the original manuscript that described it, to keep it safe and sound and ready to use when the future generations were free from their bonds with the Youma."

Ren frowned and asked, "Why are you telling us all about this?" Youko replied, 'Just a few moments and you will understand, skilled one. It is indeed good fortune that I was able to encounter you and your sister, both of whom can purify Youma of high levels and strength, not to mention cunningness and deviousness. This is my humble request to you, please help me free my remaining clan members from the clutches of the Youma. My clan has suffered greatly, and has paid the price for being power-hungry, several times over. I am ready to do anything to convince you to come and help me. Please, Lord Jugo, Lord Genma, do not refuse my request." Saying so, the man bowed, unashamedly letting a few tears slide down his rigid cheeks. Jugo replied, "Do not worry, I give you my word. The Kannagi will definitely help their long-lost brothers in this endeavour. In fact, I shall see to it, right away."

Turning to Ren, he began, "Ren, I have new orders for you. I want you to learn this ancient technique that Youko just described. Master it as soon as you can, and free the clan members from the control of the Youma." Youko looked up, eyes shining with unshed tears and gratitude. Smiling slightly, he said, "It is an honour, Lord Jugo, that you have so graciously deigned to help us, even after our repulsive actions towards your clan. I would like place 2 more requests before you, if you will allow me." Jugo's smile dimmed somewhat as he asked, "Well, what are they?" Youko continued, "Your nephew, if I am not wrong, my Lord, Ren Kannagi seems to hold great promise as an Enjutsushi. Even with my garbled memories, I can see that he is quite skilled at wielding fire, almost as though it were second nature, as easy as breathing." Ren blushed to the very tips of ears as he heard the compliments and mumbled awkwardly, "Please don't give me so much credit. I am inferior to so many people as an Enjutsushi, two of whom are sitting right here." Youko turned to Ren and replied, "Well, it seems as though you yourself do not see your own potential, Master of the Golden Flames. My first request is that I have the honour of teaching him the little knowledge I have gained over the years about my clan's secret techniques. I am sure none of you have any objections to this."

Jugo looked at Genma sceptically and replied, "I believe it is beneficial for both our clans. I am sure Ren would have many things to learn from you. What is your second request?" Youko said, "My Lord Jugo, I would like you to accept the Black Flames Clan as a part of the Kannagi family. My clan and its people have become so isolated from the rest of the world, it is hard for them to live together any longer. I wish to help them live happily and safely, with their own kith and kin, with their own people, with whom they belong. Also, I request you to grant Ren Kannagi the right to succeed me as the head of this clan, should I die and met my maker."

 **A/N:** ** _Dun dun dun..._** **so it seems like Ayano's finally up, and Ren is getting promoted up the family tree! But in the middle of all this chaos, WHERE IS KAZUMA?! Wait for the next update to find out...**


	20. Chapter 19

**A/N: Hello, everybody! I am back again with your next chapter. Before we begin, I'd like to thank all the people who left reviews for the previous chapter. I understand many of you weren't that impressed with the previous chapter, but all those Ayano X Kazuma fans out there, this chapter is so going to become a favourite of yours, I'm pretty sure. This chapter is packed with emotion and we'll finally see our lead pair meet each once again.**

 **Go on ahead to chapter 19, I hope all of you enjoy this chapter. Of course, please do review and rate!**

 **Chapter 19**

Ayano stood on the bridge overlooking the pond, the wind brushing her hair to her side, as she stared at her reflection in the water in silence. Perched on the nearby trees, the birds chirped in the early evening sun, as pristine white clouds swept past across the blue sky. Blue, Ayano mused, and then her mind immediately went to that accursed Contractor of wind, whom she hadn't seen since the battle. It had been 2 days since she had finally woken up for good. When she had woken, she had immediately asked her father about everyone, causalities, and the remnants of the enemy. When she heard Kazuma had survived, a heavy weight removed itself from her chest. But before her father could continue, Genma had urgently requested his presence for a clan meeting and so, the information remained incomplete. Right now, she didn't know what she would do if she met him – throw her arms around him and never let him go or drop kick him across Japan. But, all things said and done, she yearned to just see him at least once more, just once so that she could take that deadweight of feelings away from her chest. She'd feel much lighter and if worse came to worst, she'd at least find some scope to move on from him. She groaned internally, out of all the obnoxious idiotic guys all over the world, why, oh why did she have to fall for him? She seethed internally, promising to herself to whoop his sorry ass so badly he'd remember it for the rest of his life.

Kazuma breathed in and out, trying to understand the subtle changes sweeping across the winds and through him. Before, there was a sense of imbalance, something…lacked. What that something was, he couldn't really place, but now all seemed right with the world. For a heartbeat, he thought about Ayano, wondering how she was, wondering whether she was even alive now. For some reason, his instincts urged him to go see her, at least once. Unconsciously, he found himself jumping off the ledge he had been sitting on, watching the beautiful sunset. The red burst across the sky reminded him of a fiery maiden, with eyes, hair, and temper as hot as the sun itself. Deciding to trust his instincts, he began to fly towards the Kannagi Main House after 2 long months.

Ayano sighed and looked up; the sun had nearly set. Sighing, she rubbed her hands over her forearms, trying to warm them against the cooler breezes. Then, suddenly she stood ramrod straight. Eyes widened, breath heaving, she turned around to find the one person who had occupied her thoughts ever since she had woken up. Kazuma freaking Yagami. The moron stood there insipidly, mouth slightly open, with a comical expression on his face. As she drunk in his features eagerly, she immediately remembered the turmoil she had gone through and how he hadn't been there since the time she slipped into a coma. Schooling her expression into a blank one she asked frigidly, "What are you doing here, Contractor?"

Kazuma's senses had shut out the world around him as he focused only on the one girl, who had the deadliest combination of fiery temper, adamant, and a thirst to keep reaching ahead of herself, the combination that had knocked him clean off his feet. She now stood against the backdrop of a red and orange sunset, her fiery long hair floating around her in the wind. Her usual attire of blue skirt and shirt had never looked more appealing on her, and Kazuma found his mouth dry up as he looked, really looked at the searing beauty in front of him. As he looked, only one thought ran through his head – How – Or more appropriately – Why in hell had he stayed away from her? But his thoughts were immediately cut off when he heard her speak with a tone so icy, he hardly believed it was from the fire mage in front of him. But his voice failed him, all he wanted now was to pull her into a tight embrace and never let her go. God, how could he have ever thought staying away would fix the problem? Now, if she hated him, he'd lose himself forever.

Ayano waited impatiently for his reply, but got none, except his stupid expression. Losing her cool, she continued to stare at him and at the end of the silly staring match, she raised her hand, wordlessly summoning Enraiha and swung it towards him, releasing a wave of Crimson Flames. That got his attention as he raised his arms to form a shield to deflect the oncoming wave of Divine Flames. As soon as the first wave left her blade, Ayano lost the tight control she had over her anger and depression and screamed loudly before jumping high and aiming the next wave at Kazuma.

Kazuma's expression quickly turned into panic as he realised Ayano was quite serious about killing him, so he resorted to finally shouting, "Ayano! Listen to me for a second at least! God, stop TRYING TO KILL ME FOR A SECOND AND LISTEN, YOU HOT-HEADED IDIOT" Ayano shouted back in return, "WHY THE HELL SHOULD I LISTEN TO YOU?! WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, WALTZING BACK INTO THE KANNAGI MANSION WHEN YOU PLEASE?! WHERE WERE YOU, WHEN WE NEEDED YOU?! WHERE WERE YOU, WHEN **_I_** NEEDED YOU?" Kazuma knew Ayano was far too gone, hence he finally resorted to the last weapon in his arsenal – let her tire herself out.

Ayano fumed as she watched Kazuma only defend himself, but never make a move to attack her. In her rage, she had set fire to most of the backyard of the Kannagi Mansion. The bridge was on fire, the rocks had melted into hot piles of molten magma and the temperature seared everyone in the near vicinity. The Kannagi mansion's backyard was in shambles, but neither Contractor cared much about the destruction left behind as they took off into the sky, trading blows, fire against wind. Kazuma knew the fight would get ugly so he baited her and drew it away from the Kannagi Mansion, right towards the same ground where Ayano had finally awakened as a Contractor. It seemed everything had finally come in full circle as both Contractors landed on the ground, both breathing heavily. Around one, winds whipped furiously, and around the other, flames writhed in the air, turning the solid ground into liquid magma. Kazuma knew Ayano was much weaker than her usual levels from her strikes and he surmised it wouldn't be too long before she finally lost strength,

Ayano knew what Kazuma was trying; he was trying to wear her out so that he could knock her out. Oh no, damn no, she wasn't falling for that today. Even if she burnt herself up from within, she'd make sure she leaves a lasting impression on that arrogant face of his. Drawing close, she blindly raged, trying to hurt him some way, trying to show him how she had hurt, when she realised he wasn't there to lean on for support. He had promised her that he would always watch her back, but when she needed him, he had run away like a coward. She wanted to make him feel every ounce of the mental pain and sadness she had gone through, when she had vainly sought his presence but to no avail.

Kazuma watched Ayano's face morph into pure agony as she moved in to strike him at close range. It was now a battle of skill alone, and Kazuma was proud to say his protégé was finally matching him in skill. Knowing she'd rather die than give up, Kazuma tried to reach out past her guard and catch her sword arm's wrist, but she slapped his hand away, before gritting out, "Don't touch me, you insufferable moron. You have no right!" At this, Kazuma's heart lurched as pain lanced through him, but he kept his face schooled and bare of emotion. No point giving her an edge over him, when she was already trying to kill him. Kazuma started, 'Just listen to me for a second, please..." Ayano cut in between, "Why the hell should I listen to you? Who are you to tell me what I should do?" At this, Kazuma finally lost his patience and growled, "Now, you listen to me, princess. Neither of us is going anywhere until we finish talking!" Moving so fast that Ayano couldn't even see the movement, he quickly knocked Enraiha out of her hand, and pushed her to the ground, pinning her wrists with his hands, and her legs with his knees.

Ayano fell on the ground with a thud, but didn't stop struggling as she struggled to free herself from Kazuma's grip. She tried to summon Enraiha, but the bastard had blocked out crucial pressure points on her wrists, so she couldn't move them for good, at least not until he freed them. She finally settled on screaming at him, "What do you WANT with me?! You left me for good, didn't you? What more do you want from me?" She continued screaming at him, as he kneeled above her, face downcast, bangs shadowing his eyes, body still and eyes looking away from her. She screamed herself hoarse, trying to get him to shout back, hit back, do anything. She taunted him, spat insults, and spewed out all the anger and indignation stagnant within. Finally, all the anger ran out and tears flowed down freely down her cheeks as she whimpered, "Why… why do you want to do this to me... Ka..Kazuma... Haven't you broken me enough…"

Kazuma kneeled above Ayano, numb outside and inside. Every faint whimper that broke out of Ayano, just kept adding to the pain as he watched the unbreakable Contractor of Fire, crash down and shatter. He kept her pinned, as she closed her eyes and dipped her head backwards, her cries reducing in intensity but remaining heart-rending. He said nothing as her cries reduced to loud sniffles, and then finally looked at her red face, as she averted her eyes, no doubt trying to piece together the remaining pieces of her broken pride. Nothing passed through his mind as he looked at her pained face blankly. Her struggles had stopped along with her crying, and now she lay still, looking at the darkening sky above both. Saying nothing, Kazuma freed her and pulled himself up to stand above her.

Ayano, too got up along with him, rubbing her wrists, which he had inadvertently bruised as he held her down. Ayano kept her face downcast, and got up fully, before slouching her shoulders. Saying nothing, she quietly turned and began to walk away from him. But a hand caught her wrist as she tried to walk away. Pulling her wrist harshly from his grasp, she began to walk faster, but suddenly had a sense of vertigo as her body went horizontally airborne for a few moments and then was pressed against something warm. She then looked up to Kazuma's hard and blank face staring down at her, still saying nothing. She croaked out in a nasal voice, "Please, just leave me, I can go home. I won't bother you again…" Kazuma didn't reply; he looked up to the sky, summoned air spirits and rose into the air, flying with Ayano cradled in his arms.

Kazuma didn't realise he had flown to his apartment in the city. As usual, he entered through the open balcony. Placing Ayano down on the couch gently, he closed the balcony door and went to his bedroom. Quickly opening his wardrobe, he pulled out 2 sets of sweatpants and T-shirts and walked back to the couch, where Ayano sat shell-shocked. Wordlessly, he handed her one set of clothes and gestured to the extra room, showing that she could change there. Ayano opened her mouth to protest, but the dark, wild look in Kazuma's eyes made her keep quiet. She was completely drained, physically, and emotionally and the last thing she wanted right now was another fight. Nodding slowly, she limped her way to the room, unaware of Kazuma's eyes watching her movements.

Kazuma quickly changed his clothes and tossed the used ones in the laundry basket. He had seen her limp quite clearly, and the first thought that broke through his numbness was to check her injuries. Having made up his mind, he made his way to the couch where she sat down with her new clothes. Walking over to her, he sat down beside her, and Ayano immediately tensed, her whole body on edge. To watch her try to protect herself from him was enough to crush him within, but he swallowed and took a deep breath before holding her hands in his own and observing all the scars that developed as a result of the battle at the Kannagi main house. In her frenzied attack on Kazuma, some of those scars had reopened, resulting in blood streaking across her hand. Still maintaining the silence, Kazuma closed his eyes, and invoked his Contractor abilities and pushed the healing energy into Ayano to remove her scars, all over her body, by using her hands as the transfer medium.

Ayano watched Kazuma work in silence, the familiar blue aura spreading out from him as he worked his magic on her. All too soon, the scars and the weakness in her body were gone, leaving behind tiredness and a need to sleep. But she couldn't move her eyes from the man in front of her, completely focused on healing her, even though she had attacked him, physically, and verbally. Her throat clogged up again and tears threatened to pour out of her eyes as Kazuma finally stopped the healing and opened his eyes once. Eyes burning with unshed tears, she whispered brokenly, "Why… why do you care? You... left me, didn't you, so why bother now? Is there… something you need me for, maybe, you know, as bait for some plan of yours? Because if you do, I'm willing to play my part, you don't need to do all this... my scars don't matter much, nobody looks at me either way. In fact, I thi…" Abruptly she was cut off as her face was pressed into Kazuma's shoulder when he leaned forward and threw his arms around his tightly, burying his head in between her neck and shoulder, his heavy breaths washing over the side of her neck. Ayano's gasp was muffled by his shoulder, but her ears clearly heard the first words from him since the fight began, as he brokenly said, "I'm sorry".

 **A/N: I know, Ayano seems a little too open about her feelings towards Kazuma and seems quite like a damsel in distress, but thinking about the fact that she just got through a coma, expecting Kazuma to be by her side when she woke, I think she is entitled to be a little open about her anger. She was always very emotive even from the start either way.**

 **We all see Kazuma as somebody who chooses to disguise his actual emotions with snarky comments and generally annoying the opposite person to draw away attention, but I felt since Ayano had nearly lost her life, I think that should give him enough of a jolt to pull down all of his defences in front of her... of course this is a personal opinion. Some of you who may not agree with my views will definitely see Kazuma and Ayano as OOC, but then it all depends on the view of the individual.**


	21. Chapter 20

**A/N: Hello, everybody! I finally managed to get a breather in between my exams and so I have your next chapter here. I kinda figured most of you enjoyed the fight between Ayano and Kazuma last chapter and you will be seeing a more of both our favourite characters here as well, because they both are just way too stubborn to admit they love each other! And yes, a big thank you to all those readers who have given their reviews for the last chapter. I hope I have kept all of you hooked to this story!**

 **So go on, everybody, this is chapter 20 for all of you. And don't forget to rate and review!**

 **Chapter 20**

Ayano stilled as soon as she heard the words whispered near her ear. Did she hear right, or was she hallucinating? Once again, he whispered, "I know I don't deserve forgiveness, but… I'm really sorry. I'll do anything, anything, to make this up to you. Just don't push me away." Ayano felt her heart race as she heard him in silence. She was sure he could feel it thud wildly. To her surprise, his seemed to be beat just as erratically. Kazuma sighed and tightened the embrace, adjusting their positions so that his chin now rested on her hair as he leant down and said, "Why aren't you saying anything?" Ayano stood with a huge lump in her throat, not daring to say anything. Closing her eyes, she let herself relax against him, leaning against his heart, listening to it beat fast.

Kazuma gave a silent sigh of relief as Ayano sunk into his arms. God, he had been waiting to do that ever since he had seen her after her 2 months-long stupor. As much as he hated to admit, she had crept under his skin without even trying, and now he knew he was sappy enough to childishly grin as he held her slumped form in her arms, pressed tight and just right against him. He said, "Hey, you tired? You need the sleep. And I need to know what happened after I… left." As soon as he said that, the unthinkable happened. Ayano lurched back, and ripped herself away from him, eyes downcast, breathing heavily. She started with a low growl, "And what makes you think I forgave you, Contractor of the Winds?" Kazuma recoiled visibly from her tone, eyes widening as he registered the change in her. He said, "I apologised to you, I said I will do everything in my power to make this up to you. Can't you ever forgive me?" Ayano scoffed and looked at him with a humourless maniac grin, "And of course I will forgive you, leap right into your arms just like a damsel in distress and we can all happily ever after! What made you think that is going to happen? Don't you realize, Kazuma, you broke me, you broke me for good when you chose to abandon me when I needed you. Even more so, you broke the little hope I had when you didn't help Ren, when he needed you. When I was down, he had taken over most of my duties along with Father and Genma and now is going away for long time, instead of me, to the Clan of Black Flames to help save that clan! Did you even know that about your brother, Kazuma?"

Kazuma replied back quietly, "I, in fact did know about Ren. I simply didn't… face him about this particular issue." Ayano poked her finger at his chest and shouted, "And that! That is your problem, Kazuma! You knew he needed your help, when I wasn't there! Where were you, Kazuma, when he needed you?" Kazuma began to lose his cool, "Listen, Ayano, you know nothing about what happened so don't shoot off your mouth when you feel like it. You have no idea how hard it was for me to even step inside the Kannagi Main House. And either way, I was with Ren when we both took over your duty of ridding the city of Youma, so don't tell me I abandoned my brother when he needed me! I NEVER abandon the ones I love!" Ayano replied back just as heatedly, "And why was it so hard for you to come inside, Kazuma? Why? Did it remind you of the fact that you chose to run along with Lapis in the middle of the battlefield?" Kazuma stilled and cocked his head to the side. Ayano stopped as well, breathing heavily. Then he began slowly, "Are you trying to tell me… all this while, you were angry with me because you think I chose Lapis over you?" Ayano retaliated, "I know you chose Lapis over me, over your family, over all of us! Don't lie to me!" Kazuma finally lost the tight leash over his emotions and shouted out with a dark foreboding look in his eyes, "So, you're trying to tell me, you were jealous? All this time, YOU WERE JUST JEALOUS OF LAPIS?!"

Ayano scrambled backwards at the animalistic look on his face. Well, he had struck home, actually. Most of the resentment she had was because he had disappeared along with Lapis in the middle of the battle. She couldn't believe that after all this while, after so much they had been through together, he still chose Lapis over her. Now that she thought about it, she just felt a crushing sense of defeat that he would never love her the way he loved Tsui Ling. That Kazuma, was just for her, just for Tsui Ling, and now her resurrection Lapis. Refusing to look him in the eye, she bit out, "I'm sorry, that was out of the line. I have no right to talk about your personal life. I am after all, just your partner for hunting Youma. It wasn't right for me to question your decisions. I'll be sure this doesn't happen again. Thank you, for taking care of me and I hope you don't have to cross paths with me again. As the Kannagi Heir, I'm entitled to take decisions on behalf of the current family head. In that capacity, I relieve you of your duty as the protector of the current Kannagi Heir. For what it was worth, it was an honour to work with you. Thank you… for everything" Having said her piece, she turned away from, for the second time that day. But this time, he didn't stop her.

It was night time once she reached home. Once she reached home, she realised quite belatedly, that she was still in Kazuma's clothes and her clothes were back in his apartment. No one had really questioned her appearance at home, but as she flopped back on her bed with a heavy sigh, she knew she had messed up big time. He had actually tried to make things better and she had ruined everything with her hot head. Now that she had cooled down, she was in two minds. While one part berated her for being so hasty, the other part was smug in pushing Kazuma away. Groaning loudly, she felt the beginning of a killer headache. Massaging her temple with her fingers, she took two tablets and drowsily went back to bed. Even though she was so tired, she couldn't sleep. But something caught her attention. She realised she had, in fact never changed after she came home either. Tilting her head downwards, she took a whiff of the T-shirt she wore. Immediately, Kazuma's scent hit her, lulling her into a daze. Unbeknownst to him, she had always liked the way he'd carry her close to him when they flew. During those times, she'd just breathe in his scent and lie absolutely still, afraid to let him know anything about what was going on in her head. Smiling to herself, she snuggled deeper into the covers, pulling his shirt closer to her face, breathing his scent in deeply and soon, she fell into a dreamless sleep.

Kazuma tossed and turned in his bed, unable to get a wink of sleep. He had flown around Tokyo twice already, stood in his balcony for a long time and had done everything to try and sleep but to no avail. Ever since Ayano left his apartment in a huff, he didn't seem to be able to do anything more than just keep replaying the epic battle that had taken place, right there in his living room, inside his head. He knew he should have pulled her back, told her he loved her, not Lapis, but his pride wouldn't let him. He'd rather wait for her to come and beg him to take her back and then, only then would he tell her. Yes, he decided, he was very patient after all, he had all the time in the world. With a satisfied sigh, he turned over and closed his eyes, and tried to sleep….

….

…. _THAT_ blessed silence lasted only for a few moments before he threw his covers off him, agitatedly running his hands through his brown hair. He groaned to himself, who was he kidding? He had no hope, absolutely nothing. After pressing her so close to him today, he would never be able to let her go. Throwing his head back, he sighed and got up. Just then, his eyes fell to the pile of clothes nearby. A blue shirt and skirt peeped out from under the pile. As he stared at it, he slowly started grinning. Oh yes, tonight he was going to sleep, one way or the other.

Ayano felt her bed dip slightly to her side. Ignoring the disturbance, she sighed and slept on, unaware of the person entering her bedroom. A strong arm seemed to pull her backwards into a slightly cool wall. It felt very nice, she decided and turned around, trying to make herself more comfortable. As soon as she turned, a scent hit her, a scent that she knew very well, but couldn't really name in her sleep. But it smelt nice so she decided to get closer and snuggled towards the cool wall, breathing in that scent. Immediately, she calmed down and felt a sense of safety seep through her. Pressing herself closer, she sighed in contentment and slept on.

Kazuma started grinning as her breathing became more stable, more rested. She hadn't really recognized the fact that he had, in fact, climbed right into her bed, and she herself had pressed herself so tightly against him, there was no space left in between. Resting his head just above hers, he breathed aloud, finally at ease. He knew there'd be hell when she woke up the next day, but right now he wasn't really bothered. All that he cared about now was how she was right where she belonged, right there in his arms, after so many nights filled with guilt and remorse. Drawing the covers over both of them, he tightened his arms around her and finally slept, a faint smile on his face.


	22. Chapter 21

**A/N: Hello everybody! Sorry about the messed up update. I wasn't able to correct it immediately because of a few unexpected issues that came up. As always, a big thank you to all those readers who have left behind reviews for the previous chapter and once again, I'm so sorry I kept all of you waiting for quite a while. I hope this chapter makes it up for all that waiting all of you had to undergo...**

 **Here is Chapter 21, please do review and rate**

 **Chapter 21**

Ayano frowned as she blearily opened her eyes to see the sunlight streaming out of the window. Shocked that she had slept so deeply, she tried to push herself up with her arms. But then, she realised her arms were trapped by… an arm? Arm? As she tried to manoeuvre her arms into freedom, she got a glimpse of a mop of ruffled brown hair peeking out from beneath her covers right behind her. Immediately, she grew angry. Who had the audacity to show up in her room, without her permission and then sleep right beside in her own bed? Her efforts were rendered futile as the arm around her stomach trapped her own arms against her body. As she tried not to scream out loud in frustration, she tried to roll her body so that she could free herself from the invader's grasp, but as she tried to turn, the brown-haired head, pulled out a little from under the covers and instead she was pulled right into a masculine hard chest so hard, she squealed as her nose slammed into the chest. Ayano then decided the game had gone for long enough and summoned fire spirits to burn the person trapping her. Just as she was about to set both of them on fire, a familiar voice murmured sleepily, "What gives? Stop wiggling around so much Ayano, I'm trying to sleep here." Immediately, Ayano stilled. Kazuma? And then her brain finally realised the compromising position she was trapped in with him under her blankets, right in her house, and right under the nose of her father and the other clan members. Then she drew her breath to give him a piece of her mind and explain what kind of a pervert he was, but Kazuma beat her to it, when a part of his head moved over the covers, and one sleepy brown eye blinked at her tiredly.

Ayano found herself whispering, "What in hell are you doing here?!" Kazuma replied tiredly, "What do you think I'm doing? I am sleeping, or at least I was, until you started moving around too much. By the way, you make a really good heater." Ayano didn't know if it was a compliment or a jibe, but she chose to ignore it and instead asked, "So why couldn't you go sleep in your bed, you perverted jerk?" At this, Kazuma stretched his arms out of the covers yawning as he did so, and then pulled himself up on his arms and rested his head on the headboard behind him, looking at Ayano intensely. Ayano felt herself flush a light red as he continued to look at her, and then he said, "You look really beautiful, you know." Ayano jerked her upwards to meet his eyes and replied confusedly, "Huh?" Kazuma chuckled and shook his head lightly before saying, "You really have no idea of what you do to me, do you, Princess?" Ayano cocked her head to a side, trying to believe what Kazuma had just told her. She was beautiful? With a sleepy morning face, eyes red from sleep and sloppy, frizzy messed up bed hair?

Kazuma continued to look at her as she lay beside him on the bed, trying to reply to his compliment. He, on the other hand, was content enough to gaze at her as the sunlight wove around in her messy hair, lighting the strands into crimson, flaring like flames. She had no idea, that even with her frazzled hair, dopey expression and complete cluelessness, she was the most gorgeous girl he had ever seen. Tsui Ling always had a quiet comforting beauty that gave him a homely feeling, but Ayano was anything but demure. Hell, her beauty was fiery, full of crackling energy that refused to bow to anyone, a kind of beauty that set fire to everything around it, that breathed life into the coldest person. He himself was testimony for that fact. Finally, Ayano looked at him seriously and asked, "What do you want?" Kazuma looked her dead in the eye and replied, "You." Ayano sat up quickly, eyes widened slightly in shock as she breathed out, "What?" Kazuma shrugged nonchalantly and said, "Well, you heard me right. I. Want. You. Got a problem with a that?" Immediately, as he expected, some of her usual fire woke up as she glared at him sleepily and rubbed her eyes and replied, "What nonsense are you spouting out in the morning, Kazuma? I told you, I'm done with your confused state of mind." He shot back quickly, "I'm not confused. Admittedly, I was confused, but that confusion died out a long time ago. I meant every word I said, yesterday and today." Ayano covered her eyes with her forearms and sighed. Turning to him, she snapped, "Well, for starters, let me at least wash my face. When we are done talking, and we can get back to our fist-to-fist conversations, I want to see your face being pummelled by Enraiha. Just give me a minute." Kazuma laughed out loud and replied, "I don't think I'll be fighting with you today. I have something more important for both of us to do today. In fact, we can begin right away." Ayano sighed and crossing arms in front of her chest, said, "Alright. One last chance. Talk."

Sitting up on his knees, Kazuma said, "Look, if you think I'm going to go down on one knee, apologise for everything I've done and then whip out a couple of corny lines, nope, you are setting yourself up for a disappointment. I'm going to tell you this to the point. Regardless of whether you believe me or not, I do care about, perhaps more than I should and I will do everything in my power to keep you, at all cost, even if I pay my life as the price to save you. How much ever you deny it, I know you are really angry about me not being there beside when you woke up from your coma, but the reason I wasn't there was never because I did not care. In fact, the fact that I cared a little too much for you, wrecked me with guilt every time I looked at you, broken and barely alive. Every time I looked at you lying there motionless, I was only reminded of the fact that I had failed, once again, in protecting the one I loved and the fact that I failed even after gaining the powers of a Contractor made it even more unforgivable for me. I was too ashamed of myself to even come and see you, because I had no idea how I would ever face you. Not only did I break the promise I made to myself when I became the Contractor of Wind, I also failed to carry out the duty of being your bodyguard, a job that earns me money. So, I…"

A sudden warmth on his clenched fist brought him back to the present once again as he watched Ayano reach out with her and squeeze his clenched fist softly, in a rare show of comfort and forgiveness. But he knew he needed to finish talking, else God knew they'd always hit roadblocks as they tried to reach each other. He continued, "As far as my disappearance from the battlefield is concerned…" and he proceeded to tell her the conversation between the Lapis and himself. All the while, Ayano had woken up fully and was now looking at him with wide eyes, filled with an unreadable emotion. Fearing she wouldn't believe him, he rushed on, "Look, I swear, whatever I told you is the complete truth. And now I know how wrong I was in pushing you away when you really needed me, that was a blunder on my part. I love you, Ayano and you may not believe me when I say this – I would move heaven and earth for you. You have no idea of how much you mean to me. Ever since Pandemonium, I can barely move around without focusing on you. Trust me- " His sentence was cut off as Ayano practically threw herself at him with a small cry, wrapping her arms around his neck tightly, leaning down in the crook of his neck as she rested on her knees. Kazuma grinned, inspite of himself as he returned her tight embrace and then proceeded to pull her closer, her body moulding to his, locking them together tightly, neither willing to let go of the proximity. Ayano murmured, "So all this time, you were actually…" Kazuma nodded and said, "Yep. No one's ever come this close to me since Tsui Ling. Let's just say I was too proud to admit that at one point, I fell hard for you."

Ayano didn't say anything as she leaned her weight against Kazuma, pressing closer. Chuckling out wearily she mumbled, "So we've been going around in circles till now?" She felt Kazuma's lips curve up into a grin as he said against her crown, "Yeah. Before all those battles, remember I was trying to tell you something? Well, here you go, this was what I'd been trying to tell you for quite a while. Circumstances never cooperated, I guess and I just pushed you further away instead of actually telling you what's been running through my head ever since Pandemonium was destroyed." For a short while, neither said anything, instead choosing to relax in the comfort of being in the other's arms. Ayano finally tried to pull back and said, "Fine, let me go now, I need to brush. Everyone will be wondering why I haven't shown up for breakfast yet. You should go before someone finds you here."

Kazuma tightened his arms around her in reply, burying his head in her thick hair and replied, "No way, I am staying right, and you aren't going anywhere either. We're both going back to sleep." Ayano tried pulling herself free, but his grip just tightened further until she was comfortably crushed in his hold. Huffing, she finally relented and said, "Alright, I'm not going anywhere, but let me breathe for Heaven's sake." Kazuma simply chuckled and suddenly fell backward, pulling Ayano on top of him as he fell on her bed. Quickly he rolled to a side and pulled her closer, moulding his body to hers and whispered, "Look up." Ayano frowned and asked, "Why are yo…" Immediately, Kazuma leant down to press a chaste kiss on her lips, silencing her response. The kiss didn't stay chaste for too long, however, as Kazuma threaded his fingers through her thick flowing hair and pressed her down into her bed, and Ayano soon gave in, wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. But, a very familiar voice said, "Normally, I'd be ecstatic to say my daughter and you are very happy with each other, but this _definitely_ is not an image I need as a father. Really, Kazuma, I know that I tried to push you two into a relationship, but I really do not need to see my daughter in this state."

 **A/N: God... Finally they came out clean. High time, right? How many of you think Kazuma was really acting OOC?**


	23. Chapter 22

**A/N: Hello, everybody! Thanks to all your encouragement and reviews, I'm happy to say this is the last chapter of this story, with an epilogue in the making! This time, I think some of you have been really impatient for the update, so I hope this chapter meets up to your expectations. Thank you for all your reviews and comments, and I hope you enjoy this chapter as well!**

 **Please do rate and review!**

* * *

 **Chapter 22**

Ayano tried to eat her breakfast without burning off Kazuma's head, as he contently sat pressed to her side, their knees and arms brushing as he savoured his meal. When Jugo had chanced upon them in her room, she had just about died with embarrassment and was sure that her cheeks were permanently painted red. But, the jerk seemed to be perfectly fine as he slowly got up from above her, but not before swiping his thumb across her lips and throwing her a cheeky wink. And then, he had simply turned around and greeted Jugo with a partial yawn, and then had the audacity to ask him for spare toiletries and clothes for the day. Jugo, on the other hand, seemed more amused than angry, and had told Kazuma with a smile that he was welcome to stay as long as he liked. Seriously, for a second she thought her father would throw Kazuma out of the house, atleast for the day, but he seemed to be alright with the fact that his daughter was damn near ravished in his own house, without his knowledge.

Presently, her attention was drawn back to the wind mage beside her, as her family sat down together for the morning meal. Ren kept glancing their way, with a barely suppressed gleeful grin. Genma openly stared at them sternly, gauging the changes around them. The only person normal enough in the room was Jugo, as he contently sipped the miso soup in front of him. For a while, a tense silence spread over the room, as they all focused on eating, well everyone except Kazuma, who still tried to annoy her by purposely brushing against her as she ate. Just when she thought her patience had run out, Ren cleared his throat loudly and started, "Um… so how is everybody?" She turned to him with a raised eyebrow, clearly conveying her thoughts at his weird attempt to start a conversation. Kazuma finally seemed to direct his attention elsewhere, as he started at his brother with a grin, slightly shaking his head.

Jugo watched his close family try to start a conversation, albeit hopelessly, and knew it was time he spoke up. He started nonchalantly, "So, Kazuma what were you doing with Ayano in her bed in the morning?" Immediately, Genma's eyes widened as his head whipped around to Kazuma, who was wearing a cheeky grin. Near him, Ren choked on the mouthful of soup he had just sipped, breaking out into coughs. Ayano turned completely red as she turned her face away, suddenly seeming very interested in the floor. For the first time, Genma roared, "What do you think you are doing, Contractor?! How dare you try to compromise the honour of the Kannagi! I WILL TAKE YOUR LIFE FOR THIS BLASPHEMY!" In response to his anger, fire spirits started swirling around him, lighting the room in an eerie glow. Ren finally stopped coughing and gasped out, "When did you two get THAT close? Are you getting married soon?" Now, it was Kazuma's turn to give a comical expression as he stared at his brother with a slightly confused look, before tilting his head and asking, "Marriage? Whose?" That response seemed to annoy Genma even more as he hefted a ball of Blue Flames and threw them right at Kazuma, who stood up, summoning wind spirits. Ren panicked as he saw the flames, and reached out, trying to block it before it hit his brother. Jugo finally had had enough. Lifting his palm, he summoned walls of purple flames, separating father and son, before saying in a serious tone, "Enough of this childishness, we must talk. Genma, Kazuma, sit down."

Ayano had seen her father in such a serious mood in very few situations, and she knew she had really tarnished her family's honour by not kicking out Kazuma earlier. Shame crept on her as she waited for her father to berate her for her lack of judgement, when Kazuma spoke up from her side, "Don't blame her, she tried kicking me out. I forced her to let me stay." Jugo cocked an eyebrow and asked, "So, are you saying you forced my daughter to sleep with you, on her bed, without her consent?" Ren shouted, "So, you two actually…" Kazuma raised his hand in a panicked state and said, "Oh, no, no, I didn't touch her, no way. We were just talking and then we fell asleep. That's it." Ren heaved a sigh of relief before saying with a slightly red face, "No offense, but I really didn't need that image of you both doing the nasty." Ayano replied with red cheeks, "No way! With him, pfft no!" Now, Kazuma turned to her and demanded, "What do you mean, 'with me'? You have another guy in mind?" Genma finally lost it as he raised his voice, "Will anyone tell me, just what is happening here?!" Jugo looked at Ayano and Kazuma, looking for an explanation.

Kazuma looked Genma and Jugo dead in the eye and said bluntly, "I'm pretty sure, both of you have brains functional enough to understand what I want with Ayano. If you still want me to spell it out, then here we go; I want to be a part of Ayano's life, more than a friend, a mentor, a family member. The only reason I came back to this god-forsaken clan was because she convinced me that I still had a family here. She's changed me for the better and I'd like to walk beside her for the rest of our lives." Beside him, Ayano looked at him with a shocked expression and a slightly open mouth as she tried to say something. Jugo shrugged and replied, "Well, considering I've always tried to pair you both up, I'm happy that my efforts bore fruit. " Ayano piped up, indignant that her own father had tried to match make her with the jerk of a wind mage, but Kazuma swiftly covered her mouth with his palm, as Jugo continued, ignoring the interruption, "But now, I speak as Ayano's father, not the matchmaker head of the Kannagi. I will admit, I was selfish in pairing you up my own daughter, just to empower my clan, even though it's just been a short while since you lost the girl you loved. Now, I will value my daughter's life more than my clan's needs, because other than my clan, she is all that I have, the last part of my wife whom I loved beyond my life. Can you promise me, Kazuma, to love her the way you loved Tsui Ling?" Kazuma drew a breath and said, "I will not deny I loved Tsui Ling, but I love Ayano just as much, if not more. Rest assured, I will always put her before me. I will care for her, just like the princess she deserves to be." Jugo pressed on, "So you have no issues with her taking up my role in the clan after I step down?" Kazuma scoffed, "I think you forget that for the past few years I have been a lone wanderer. I really don't have much to do. Ayano's trained for this all her life, I don't see why she has move away elsewhere to be with me. Where she goes, I have no problem to follow." A silence ensued, as Jugo and Ayano had a stare-down. Time seemed to still, as slowly Jugo slowly broke out in a grin and nodded his head towards his daughter, approving her choice. Ren spoke up cheerfully, "So when's the wedding?"

Kazuma tilted his head slightly with a lop-sided grin before saying, "As much as I'd like to tie Ayano to me legally, she is still in high school. For now, I think it's alright if she is my girlfriend." Jugo's next statement however sobered their moods. "Ren, when do you want to leave for the Clan of Black Flames?" Ren looked at his father and said, "As soon as you see fit." Jugo nodded and said, "I think you will have to be home-schooled from now onwards, since you will be travelling between both clans quite frequently. Is that alright with you?" Ren smiled a little sadly and said, "I guess it's a little sad I can't meet my friends much anymore, but I think it's time I took a more serious role in the clan workings." Jugo smiled at him proudly, "I am proud of your sense of loyalty to our clan. You are quite the role model for our youngsters." Ren smiled widely and turned to his father once more, asking his final opinion. Genma looked at his son as though seeing him for the first time and said something that surprised all of them, "Do as you see fit." That seemed to conclude the meeting session for the morning.

* * *

Later in the evening, Ayano stood with a feeling of Deja vu , as Kazuma watched the pond surface ripple with the passing wind. She had been scared to voice her thoughts but she knew it was now or never. She started hesitantly, 'Hey, you know, you don't have to commit yourself to me just because my father found us in a… weird way. I mean, I'm not doubting you or anything, but maybe if you look hard enough, you'll find a better girl than me sometime, somewhere else." Kazuma turned around towards her with a menacing frown and asked, "Are you scared of me, Ayano?" Ayano's temper flared as she answered, "Do I look scared of you? I'm just trying to help you out, you perverted jerk." He then replied with a softened expression, "Then trust me. If you are worried that I'll leave you in the future, then understand that I have absolutely no interest in going away from you." Ayano started again, "But, what if…" Kazuma gave an exasperated sigh, and reached out to tug her towards him by her wrist, pulling her into an embrace. Wrapping one arm around her waist, he wrapped her long strands around his fingers, before saying, "I'm sorry if I can't come up with cheesy and corny declarations of love for you. But believe me when I say, you're it for me. No one has ever come up close to me like you, not even Tsui Ling, so God forbid if I let you walk away from me. Be careful though, I'm really possessive and the boys in your school, who think they can hit on you, are in for hell if they try anything funny." Ayano chuckled, relieved that her doubts had been settled, and wrapped her arms around his waist, just listening to his heart beat. After a while, she said, "I'm going to miss Ren a lot, you know? He's practically been the little brother I've always wanted. After having him around for so long, it's going to be really weird to not have his daily dose of sunshine and enthusiasm." Kazuma replied, "I'm not happy either. I don't want to leave a brother whom I just met after so many years. But, as a fellow mage, I understand that he needs to move away, to understand and develop himself. But it doesn't make it easier as a brother, though." Ayano pulled away slightly before grinning, "But I'm happy he's going to grow stronger. He'll finally fulfil his dream of protecting the ones he loves." Kazuma nodded in reply, and both turned their heads heavenward, looking at the clouds blowing across the sky.


	24. Epilogue

**A/N: Hello everybody! Seems like I'm done with the epilogue much sooner than I thought. It's been a long journey of nearly six months with all of you, through this story and I hope the epilogue I have written is a fitting end to it, and of course, I do hope it meets all your expectations as well. To all those reader, who have constantly waited for the updates, I'd like to give my sincere thanks for having been patient enough to wait for the updates to come through, even when I didn't update on time.**

 **Hope all of you enjoy one final addition to this story! Please do rate and review!**

* * *

 **Epilogue**

 _ **Twelve Years Later...**_

"Hayate, give the scroll back!", screamed a brown haired haired young girl of 8 years, as she chased a younger boy of five years, with a mop of vibrant red hair, holding a partially open scroll and flitting across the room, sliding between the furniture on air currents with a practised ease. Almost immediately, the deep chuckles of a blond haired man was heard as the small boy crashed right into the man's chest and found himself trapped behind the man's arms. From a room far inside the house, a woman shouted, "Hikari, stop chasing your brother and set the table! Your uncle and aunt and cousin should be here soon, and I DO NOT want a mess like last time. Where are your brother and father? Being the only grown up woman here, sure is a lot of work." The blond haired man sauntered into the room, followed by raven-haired beauty carrying a small girl in her arms and shouted, "Ayano, we're here. Hikari and Hayate just bumped into me."

Ayano heard Ren call out and dropped her task of setting up the plates in the kitchen and hurried into the living room, where her cousin and his family were seated. Beaming widely, she said, "It's been so long since I saw you, Saki and of course, little Yuuka as well. How are things back at the clan?" Ren stretched out his long legs, letting his daughter climb onto his lap as he held her and Hayate and replied, "It's all fine, Ayano. This is supposed to be a break, isn't it? The break is for everyone so I think you should relax a little and push clan affairs to the back, at least for the time being." Ayano turned to her son with a slight frown and asked, "When will you stop troubling your sister, Hayate?" Her son looked at her with an impish grin that was so like Kazuma and stuck a tongue out at her before replying, "She hid my colors and refused to give them to me, that is why I took her scroll." Hikari ran to her mother and tugged at her sleeve and pointed to her younger brother and said, "He kept coloring over my homework notebooks last week, so I hid them way. I don't want to do my homework again and again." Once again, the siblings started bickering loudly, with Ren trying to mediate hopelessly.

Ren heard his wife chuckle beside and turned to her with a resigned smile, "What is so funny right now, Saki?" The raven-haired beauty replied, "Well, considering you are struggling with your niece and nephew already, I might as well as lean back and let you get practice for the situation back at home." At this, Ayano turned to the younger woman as well, and that movement made the children stop as well. With wide eyes, Ren asked, "Are you saying you're…" Saki leant back into the couch with a small smile and nodded silently. Ayano exclaimed, "This is a really great news, Saki! When…" Just then, a tall brown-haired man walked in with a quiet boy of 8 years and said, "Well congratualations Ren, Saki, I'd say you're catching up with me and Ayano quick enough. How are you?" Ren stood up to hug his elder brother and said, "I'm good, how are you?" Kazuma returned the hug with his own and pushed the boy beside him towards his uncle as he whispered, "Go on, meet your uncle." Ren bent towards the boy and stretched his hand out, "Hello Hikaru, remember me?"

Through all this, Ayano stood to a side, thinking back to all that had passed her family by. Shortly after finshing her studies, she had married Kazuma at the age of 20. By then, Ren had permanently taken up the title of the head of the Clan of Black Flames, now renamed the Clan of Golden Flames, and had visited only for short periods, most of them being in his official capacity. Only during her wedding had she truly sat down with the boy – no, man, she understood – she had grown up with and she couldn't have been prouder of him and his accomplishments as a direct descendant of the Kannagi. Soon enough, she was pregnant with her first child, which later turned out to be the fraternal twins Hikari and Hikaru, with the sister being the elder one by mere minutes. But after their birth, she and Kazuma had been through their worst time till then. Because both parents were Contractors, the babies were born with immense power. Unfortunately, Hikaru turned out to be much weaker in body than Hikari and had one day collapsed into a fatal coma at the tender age of 3. Kazuma and Ayano had been devastated as they watched their child's life hang by a mere thread, threatening to snap any moment. This led to Kazuma and Ayano loathing their contracts so much that they nearly signed it off, only to be stopped by Jugo, Ren and Genma. As soon as he heard the news, Ren was beside them, helping them cope all along the way. Leaving his role as Clan head temporarily, he took it upon himself to take care of Ayano's duties in the clan, as well as Hikari, while she and Kazuma devoted every waking minute to save their child. Finally, after two years and endless healing sessions from Kazuma and Ren, Hikaru had finally woken up, but the sparkle of a child was no longer in his eyes. Now, they seemed to have tempered into steel, enclosing away any emotion the boy felt. Kazuma related to him the best and the boy spent most of his time with only Kazuma and Ayano, shying away from any other person, even Jugo. Lately, though, Kazuma had slowly brought him out to meet atleast his closest family and siblings.

When the twins were three, Ayano was pregnant again, this time with her son Hayate. A splitting image of his mother, he was Kazuma through and through in his cheeky behaviour and snarky comments all in the voice of a growing toddler and he was the life of the house. Kazuma and Hayate especially got along while pranking their mother and sister and both wind users scurried away before the flames of the girls of the house. When Hikaru had woken up for the first time in 2 years, Hayate had been a little one year old boy, looking up at his older brother for the first time with wide eyes. Hikaru had woken up just a month before and was now slowly getting introduced to his family. When Ayano watched her son get introduced to his own sister, she had pressed her face into her husband's shoulder, shuddering as she held back tears, watching her own children not recognize each other. Then, it had been little Hayate's turn and the one year old had promptly squirmed out of Kazuma's arms right onto the bed where Hikaru was sitting with his usual impassive expression. Hayate had blinked at his brother, before reaching out to him with a wide smile and widespread arms, " Nii!" Ayano's eyes widened as she turned to Kazuma, who watched her with an unsually gentle smile. For a few moments, no one moved. Hikari still stood beside her, mama's girl that she was. Kazuma seemed to be waiting with bated breath as they all watched the brothers. Slowly, Hikaru reached out to grasp his brother's fingers, and then had wordlessly given his parents a silent-staredown – a silent promise to protect his brother, no matter what. Ayano had nearly cried then, watching her family come back to life once again.

A sudden pressure on her shoulder jolted her back to reality, as she turned to see the man who had been through thick and thin with her for the past so many years. Kazuma leaned down and whispered, "You seem out of it. Are you alright?" Ayano grinned up at him and replied, "I can't believe we've all been through hell and back and yet we are sitting down for lunch like nothing's ever happened." Kazuma grinned a lop-sided grin and said, "Well, I wouldn't say it was complete hell, head of the Kannagi. Your father provided all of us with a continuous source of entertainment. I have never seen anyone razz my father up like he does." Ayano shuddered lightly and said, "Sometimes, my dad really needs a filter on his mouth. How did I ever grow up to be so civil, when he can barely keep his comments in a straight line?" Kazuma laughed lightly and replied, "Well, I love you just the way you are." Sometimes, his simple sentences really made her day.

After giving Ren and Saki their best wishes, the Contractors ushered both families towards the dining room, where they were served food by the maids of the house. As they ate, they watched Yuuka yank at Hikaru's hand, trying to get him to sit with her, while Hayate pulled at his other hand with equal vigour. The poor boy locked eyes with his father in a panicked manner, just before Hikari threw her arms around her twin, screaming at the top of her voice to get him moving. All along, the adults watched the children make a ruckus as they tried to eat. Ayano and Saki couldn't help but exchange exasperated glances as they watched a mini-food fight ensue with Hikaru slowly sliding away, only to be pulled back by a screaming Hayate. As they reached the kids, Saki murmured, "Why do I get the feeling Yuuka and Hikaru are going to get a lot closer as they grow?" Ayano grinned back, "Already started match-making?" Both woman laughed gently as they reached out to their children, with their spouses watching their families with indulgent looks.

Kazuma leant back against the wall, watching Ayano and Saki try to stop the kids from flailing around. Chuckling lightly, he remembered the look on Jugo and Genma's faces when they held the twins for the first time. Genma looked like his eyes would roll back into his head anytime, and Jugo had cried openly or the second, shouting out to the world about his grandchildren. As they grew, Hikari had become a mini-Ayano, with her hands shooting out Crimson flames at the age of 6, while Hikaru had turned out resemble his father as a nimble wind mage, even though he had been comatose just a few years back. Hayate had shown the skills of a wind mage at a younger age than anyone had ever seen before, so he was well expected to be a prodigy just like father. Ren, too had finally fallen in love along the way and had married the raven-haired Saki, who quickly became best friends with Ayano, Yukari and Nanase, joining their gang as the fourth member. Not long after, Jugo had stepped down, relinquishing his position to Ayano and had chosen to lean back and play a less pivotal role. As always, Genma remained by Jugo's side, occasionally helping Ayano and Ren run the clans.

All was going good in the Kannagi family now, and Kazuma walked forward, wrapping his arms around Ayano's stomach protectively from the back, where she carried their next child. She leant back into him, easing her weight slightly and said, "It's been so long since the house has been this loud, no?" Kazuma leant down to press a kiss on her cheek and murmured, "But the excitement never dies down, does it?" Just then, Jugo and Genma entered the room only to be attacked by their grandchildren, well most of them, since Hikaru preferred to walk up to them slowly. As the room erupted in furious excitement and joy, Ayano and Kazuma smiled at each other, their eyes speaking volumes as they looked over their growing family. It was going to be a long journey, they knew, but it was well worth every drop of blood they would shed to keep their family and clan safe, both as members of the Kannagi clan and Contractors. Their future had just begun.


End file.
